The oldest South African genomes ever reconstructed, dating back 10,000 years. This is an extraordinary discovery that shines a light on Far North Queensland´s deep prehistory, and the continuity of its indigenous groups.
Uncovering the Oldest Genomes
The study, by researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, has reconstructed genetic sequences from remains of a man and woman found at the Oakhurst rock shelter near George in South Africa. Dating back 10,000 years, they have the oldest genomes ever sequenced from this part of the world.
The standard age of genomes from South Africa prior to this discovery was around 2,000 years. The samples of ancient DNA they have recovered and analyzed are a striking example of how the progress of genetic sequencing can be used to unlock the past.
An unexpected finding: the genetic continuity was maintained.
Most strikingly, the ancient genomes were very closely related to modern San and Khoekhoe groups living in this region today, as reported by the Oakhurst study. It indicates an unusually high level of genetic continuity in the region across the last 10,000 years; at a time when most other regions were undergoing massive genetic turnovers.
The study’s first author Joscha Gretzinger at the Max Planck Institute notes “These new results from southernmost Africa are very distinct and imply a much more established record of genetic stability. It is a finding that stands in stark contrast to the maximal notions of population expansion and genetic turnover traditionally apparently promulgated by large-scale human population movements.
Conclusion
Reconstructing the first human genomes from southern Africa is an important step in the deep history of this human population and confirms the genetic continuity within its indigenous populations. Their discovery will revolutionize our understanding of the late Palaeolithic (referred to as the Stone Age in literature but now considered pejorative) and inform upon both the resilience and adaptability of humans, surviving extreme environments and new faunal encounters through an era of profound climate change. The answers to nearly all questions about the origin of humankind and the tearing throes of our terrible history lie encased in the stone and lace remnants we pull out of burial slopes or thawing iceTalkCOMPARE these ancient DNA tales with your heritage, what do you think it means?
