Scientists have sequenced the first ancient genomes from the era when the Sahara was a humid savanna. The research, led by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, analyzed DNA from two female herders who lived approximately 7,000 years ago in present-day Libya.
These women were buried in a rock shelter in Takarkori. The findings reveal an isolated human lineage in North Africa during the African Humid Period, also known as the Green Sahara, which lasted from about 14,500 to 5,000 years ago.
The study indicates that a notable genetic homogeneity existed during the Green Sahara, despite cultural traits circulating between communities. The analysis suggests their lineage diverged from sub-Saharan African populations around 50,000 years ago, coinciding with the expansion of modern humans out of Africa.
They also have an intermediate level of Neanderthal DNA. This is higher than current sub-Saharan African populations but lower than modern humans outside of Africa. This suggests that pastoralism spread in the Green Sahara through cultural exchange rather than migration.
This challenges previous theories that proposed the diffusion of these practices through population movements. Though this lineage no longer exists in its original form, some of its genetic heritage remains in present-day North African populations. This study provides deeper insight into the genetic history of Africa and the evolution of cultural practices in the region during the Green Sahara period.