Ancient DNA from the Green Sahara reveals ancestral North African lineage

Archaeology breakthrough as unknown human lineage discovered in 'green Sahara'

The mummies are thought to be from a never-before-seen population living in remote Africa around 7,000 years ago.

7,000-Year-Old Skeletons From the 'Green Sahara' Reveal a Mysterious Human Lineage

Researchers recently sequenced the genomes of two naturally mummified women found in Libya

Ancient DNA from the Green Sahara reveals ancestral North African lineage

Although it is one of the most arid regions today, the Sahara Desert was a green savannah during the African Humid Period (AHP) between 14,500 and 5,000 years before present, with water bodies promoting human occupation and the spread of pastoralism in the middle Holocene epoch1. DNA rarely preserves well in this region, limiting knowledge of the Sahara’s genetic history and demographic past. Here we report ancient genomic data from the Central …

Between 14,500 years ago and 5,000 years ago, the Sahara was a lush green savannah, rich in water deposits and teeming with life. And according to DNA recovered from the remains of people living in what is now Libya 7,000 years ago, it was also home to an unknown human lineage whose members remained isolated from the rest of the world. The researchers analyzed the genomes of people who lived in what is now known as the “Green Sahara.” They recov…

Mummies From The Sahara Helped Uncover A New Lineage Of Humans

More than 7,000 years ago, during the African Humid Period, the Sahara was lush and green. A human population lived […]

Dripstones from caves of today's Saudi Arabia investigated