Researchers from the University of Cape Town and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have decoded the DNA of two individuals who lived around 10,000 years ago, discovered in a rock shelter near George, South Africa. These findings, published in a recent study, provide critical insights into the genetic history of humans in southern Africa. The genomes, belonging to a man and a woman, are the oldest ever found in the region, significantly predating the previous oldest DNA by about 8,000 years. The study included 13 sequences from people who lived between 1,300 and 10,000 years ago.
The research reveals that the ancient DNA shares similarities with the genetic makeup of modern ethnic groups such as the San and Khoekhoe. This points to a long period of genetic stability in the region, contrasting with Europe where large-scale genetic changes have been observed over the same period. According to Joscha Gretzinger, the study's lead author, the genetic landscape in southern Africa remained relatively unchanged until about 1,200 years ago. At that time, new arrivals introduced livestock farming, agriculture, and new languages, transforming the local cultural and genetic landscape.
Victoria Gibbon from the University of Cape Town emphasized the rarity of such well-preserved genetic material in southern Africa. Unlike Europe and Asia, where thousands of ancient human genomes have been reconstructed, southern Africa has yielded fewer than two dozen samples. The findings from the Oakhurst Cave are, therefore, invaluable for understanding the region's human migration patterns and genetic history over nearly 9,000 years. This discovery highlights the importance of southern Africa in the broader narrative of human evolution and migration.
