Genetic analysis of a Gravettian-period woman from Isturitz Cave revealed genetic connections spanning across eastern, central, and western Europe. The researchers determined that this genetic exchange took place between 32,500 and 31,500 years ago, providing the oldest modern human genome-wide dataset from southwestern Europe. The presence of matching genetic signatures in another individual from Ormesson suggests these cave sites acted as gathering hubs. Additionally, ancient nuclear DNA extracted from cave soil in Spain shows human lineages survived locally through the extreme cold of the Last Glacial Maximum.
Key points
Gravettian populations across eastern and western Europe interacted and exchanged genes f…: Gravettian populations across eastern and western Europe interacted and exchanged genes far earlier than prior models assumed.
Isturitz Cave and similar French locations likely served as crucial cross-regional meetin…: Isturitz Cave and similar French locations likely served as crucial cross-regional meeting points for wide-ranging hunter-gatherers.
Ancient sediment DNA confirms that the Iberian Peninsula functioned as a vital survival r…: Ancient sediment DNA confirms that the Iberian Peninsula functioned as a vital survival refuge during the Last Glacial Maximum.
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Scientists studying ancient human remains from a cave in southwestern France have found evidence that people living in eastern and western Europe were genetically connected more than 30,000 years ago.
DNA recovered from a woman who lived during the Gravettian period showed that although most of her ancestry was linked to western Europe, she also had genetic connections to populations in central and eastern Europe. The findings challenge the earlier understanding that these groups remained largely genetically separate during the Ice Age.
The discovery was made by an international research team led by the
University of Vienna. The study, published in the journal Science Advances recently, examined ancient human genomes and DNA preserved in cave sediments to understand how populations were connected during the Late Stone Age.
The woman’s remains were discovered in Isturitz Cave in southwestern France. Researchers recovered what they describe as the oldest genome-wide dataset of a modern human from southwestern Europe. Their analysis suggests that genetic exchange between eastern and western populations occurred around 32,500 to 31,500 years ago.
Archaeological discoveries had already suggested that people…
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