7,000-Year-Old Mummy DNA Reveals Isolated North African Lineage in Libya's Takarkori Rock Shelter, Challenging Sahara Migration Theories

Scientists have successfully sequenced complete DNA samples from two 7,000-year-old female mummies discovered in the Takarkori Rock Shelter in Libya. This groundbreaking research sheds light on a previously unidentified ancient North African lineage that existed in isolation in the Sahara during the African Humid Period. The Takarkori region, now a desert, was once a lush savannah with trees, lakes, and rivers. Archaeological studies continue to reveal insights into the human history of this "Green Sahara." The genomes of these women indicate a long-isolated North African lineage that diverged from sub-Saharan African populations around 50,000 years ago, coinciding with modern human migrations out of Africa. This lineage remained isolated, demonstrating genetic continuity in North Africa during the late Ice Age. While this lineage no longer exists in unadmixed form, its genetic legacy remains a key component of modern North African populations, underscoring their unique heritage. Previous findings indicated the Takarkori people were nomadic herder-pastoralists. Their genetic isolation suggests they adopted this lifestyle through cultural exchange rather than migration from the Near East. The study challenges the theory that the Green Sahara served as a major migration corridor between Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa. The individuals from Takarkori also had less Neanderthal DNA compared to people outside Africa, but more than contemporary sub-Saharan Africans. The successful extraction of such old and intact genomes is a significant achievement, given the DNA degradation common in hot desert climates. Researchers used advanced techniques developed in Leipzig to extract the entire genome sequence from the two mummies.