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Once lush Sahara was home to a surprisingly unique group of humans
Currently a harsh, arid sandscape, it's hard to believe the Sahara was once studded with sparkling water bodies that nourished lush green savannas.
"Evidence from ancient lake deposits, pollen samples, and archaeological artifacts confirm human presence, hunting, herding, and resource gathering in the currently arid desert region," Salem and team explain in their paper. "Our findings suggest that while early North African populations were largely isolated, they received traces of Neanderthal DNA due to gene flow from outside Africa," says anthropologist Johannes Krause, from the Max Planck Institute in Germany. "By shedding light on the Sahara's deep past, we aim to increase our knowledge of human migrations, adaptations, and cultural evolution in this key region," concludes Sapienza University archeologist Savino di Lernia.
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