Ancestral mitochondrial N lineage from the Neolithic ‘green’ Sahara

2019/03/05 by Stefania Vai, Stefania Sarno, Martina Lari +10 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Arts and Humanities · #Forensic and Genetic Research #Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies #Race, Genetics, and Society

paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-39802-1

openalex publication_date 2019/03/05 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

Because Africa's climate hampers DNA preservation, knowledge of its genetic variability is mainly restricted to modern samples, even though population genetics dynamics and back-migrations from Eurasia may have modified haplotype frequencies, masking ancient genetic scenarios. Thanks to improved methodologies, ancient genetic data for the African continent are now increasingly available, starting to fill in the gap. Here we present newly obtained mitochondrial genomes from two ~7000-year-old individuals from Takarkori rockshelter, Libya, representing the earliest and first genetic data for the Sahara region. These individuals carry a novel mutation motif linked to the haplogroup N root. Our result demonstrates the presence of an ancestral lineage of the N haplogroup in the Holocene "Green Sahara", associated to a Middle Pastoral (Neolithic) context.

Citations

• Correcting for Purifying Selection: An Improved Human Mitochondrial Molecular Clock
• Introducing the Algerian Mitochondrial DNA and Y-Chromosome Profiles into the North African Landscape
• Massive migration from the steppe is a source for Indo-European languages in Europe
• Genomic Ancestry of North Africans Supports Back-to-Africa Migrations
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• Harvesting the fruit of the human mtDNA tree
• Ancient watercourses and biogeography of the Sahara explain the peopling of the desert
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• MEGA7: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis Version 7.0 for Bigger Datasets
• Ancient Egyptian mummy genomes suggest an increase of Sub-Saharan African ancestry in post-Roman periods
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Cited by

• Recent African origin of modern humans [wikipedia]