Researchers have reconstructed the oldest human genomes ever found in South Africa from two people who lived around 10,000 years ago, allowing a better understanding of how the region was populated, an author of the study said.
The genetic sequences were from a man and a woman whose remains were found at a rock shelter near the southern coastal town of George, about 370 kilometres (230 miles) east of Cape Town, said University of Cape Town (UCT) biological anthropology professor Victoria Gibbon.
Researchers reconstructed 13 ancient genomes from individuals who lived at the Oakhurst shelter in southern Africa between 1,300 and 10,000 years ago. Prior to this, the region’s oldest genomes dated to around 2,000 years. A surprising result was the genetic similarity between these ancient individuals and modern San and Khoekhoe populations.
Unlike Europe, where genetic changes occurred due to large-scale migrations, southern Africa shows remarkable genetic stability over millennia, according to Joscha Gretzinger from the Max Planck Institute.
This stability only shifted around 1,200 years ago when newcomers introduced pastoralism, agriculture, and new languages.
Despite southern Africa’s significance in human history, ancient DNA has been poorly preserved, limiting genome reconstructions.
Advances in technology have now enabled researchers to recover these ancient genomes, providing new insights into population movements in the region over the past 9,000 years. Sites like Oakhurst are rare but crucial for understanding the genetic history of southern Africa.
Source: Oman News Agency
