Overview

• Researchers sequenced the first whole genomes from two 7,000-year-old mummies found in Libya's Takarkori rock shelter, marking a breakthrough in ancient DNA recovery from arid environments.
• The analysis identified a previously unknown and genetically isolated North African lineage that diverged from other human populations approximately 50,000 years ago.
• The findings challenge the idea of the Green Sahara as a migration corridor, suggesting the spread of pastoralism occurred through cultural diffusion rather than large-scale migration.
• Despite genetic isolation, the Takarkori people maintained cultural connections, as evidenced by artifacts like pottery from sub-Saharan Africa and the Nile Valley.
• The Takarkori lineage became extinct about 5,000 years ago with the Sahara's desertification, but traces of their DNA persist in modern North African populations.