Groundbreaking research has unveiled the first ancient genomes sequenced from the era known as the Green Sahara, a time thousands of years ago when the world's largest desert was a vibrant, humid savanna. An international team achieved this milestone by analyzing DNA from two naturally mummified individuals discovered in the Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya. These individuals lived approximately 7,000 years ago, offering a rare glimpse into the human populations that inhabited this dramatically different Saharan environment. The analysis of the genetic material yielded surprising results. The DNA showed that these two individuals belonged to a distinct human lineage previously unknown to science. This group appears to have been genetically isolated in North Africa for a significant period. Crucially, this lineage is now considered extinct, meaning it did not contribute substantially, if at all, to modern populations in the region or elsewhere. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about population movements and genetic continuity in North Africa during the Holocene epoch. The Takarkori rock shelter, where the mummies were found, served as a crucial site for hunter-gatherers and early pastoralists during the African Humid Period (roughly 11,000 to 5,000 years ago). The exceptional preservation conditions allowed for the natural mummification of the bodies and, remarkably, the survival of ancient DNA despite the typically harsh Saharan environment. Sequencing this DNA provides direct evidence of the genetic makeup of the people who thrived when the Sahara was green, supporting archaeological findings with biological data. Understanding the genetic history of the Green Sahara inhabitants sheds light on human adaptation and migration patterns in response to dramatic climate shifts. The existence of this isolated and now-extinct lineage suggests that North Africa harbored unique human diversity during this period. The subsequent drying of the Sahara likely played a significant role in the disappearance of this group and reshaped the genetic landscape of the entire continent. Further research involving more ancient DNA samples from across North Africa will be essential to fully map the complex population dynamics of this transformative era in human prehistory.
