A team of scientists, led by researcher Carles Lalueza-Fox from CSIC
(Spanish National Research Council), has recovered - for the first time
in history - part of the genome of two individuals living in the
Mesolithic Period, 7000 years ago. Remains have been found at La
Braña-Arintero site, located at Valdelugueros (León), Spain. The study
results, published in the Current Biology magazine, indicate that current Iberian populations don't come from these groups genetically.
The Mesolithic Period, framed between the Paleolithic and Neolithic
Periods, is characterized by the advent of agriculture, coming from the
Middle East. Therefore, the genome found is the oldest from Prehistory,
and exceeds Ötzi, the Iceman, in 1700 years.
Researchers have also recovered the complete mitochondrial DNA of one
of these individuals, through which they could determine that European
populations from Mesolithic Period were very uniform genetically. Carles
Lauleza-Fox, from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF),
states: "These hunters-gatherers shared nomadic habits and had a common
origin. Despite their geographical distance, individuals from the
regions corresponding to the current England, Germany, Lithuania,
Poland, and Spain, shared the same mitochondrial lineage".
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