35,000-Year-Old “Peştera Muierii 1” Genome Sequenced
In a groundbreaking study, researchers have successfully sequenced the entire genome of a 35,000-year-old skull found in Romania, known as “Peştera Muierii 1.” This remarkable achievement has shed new light on human genetic history and migration patterns.
Challenging Previous Assumptions
Led by Professor Mattias Jakobsson from Uppsala University, the study published in Current Biology has revealed some surprising findings:
- The woman’s genetic diversity was higher than expected, suggesting that the major genetic bottleneck in human history occurred during and after the last Ice Age, rather than during the migration out of Africa.
- While her skull shape had similarities to both modern humans and Neanderthals, genetic analysis showed she had the same low level of Neanderthal DNA as most of her contemporaries.
- The study indicates that she was not a direct ancestor of modern Europeans but a predecessor of the hunter-gatherers who inhabited Europe until the end of the last Ice Age.
Insights into Early European Population History
The high genetic diversity of Peştera Muierii 1 challenges the notion that the out-of-Africa migration was the primary cause of reduced genetic variation outside Africa. Instead, it appears that the last Ice Age, which ended around 10,000 years ago, had a more significant impact on genetic diversity.
Implications for Medical Genomics
Researchers also examined the genome for genetic diseases but found no significant differences over the past 35,000 years, despite some individuals during the Ice Age having low genetic diversity. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the prevalence of pathogenic variants in populations outside Africa.
As we close this chapter on Peştera Muierii 1, her remains continue to be a valuable source of cultural and historical information. While her genetic secrets have now been fully revealed, her legacy as a window into our ancient past remains intact, offering invaluable insights into human evolution and migration.
