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University of Vienna researchers recover 22,000-year-old human DNA from Spanish cave sediment
Researchers led by the University of Vienna have successfully extracted 22,000-year-old human nuclear DNA from sediment samples in Spain’s El Mirón Cave. Notably, the discovery was made without the presence of physical fossils, bones, or teeth, relying instead on genetic material likely shed from skin, hair, or blood.
The study, published in Science Advances, involved sequencing a tiny sediment sample roughly 100 times to sift through over a billion DNA fragments while accounting for modern contamination. The genetic data suggests the inhabitants belonged to a western ancestry group characterized by dark skin, hair, and eyes, and the sample appeared to come from a mix of individuals with a higher proportion of males.
This method of extracting sedimentary DNA (sedaDNA) provides a significant boost to the limited genetic evidence available from the Last Glacial Maximum, a period when human skeletal remains are exceptionally rare.
In a related finding, research into Gravettian culture populations from 30,000 years ago suggests that Ice Age Europeans were more interconnected than previously believed. Analysis of remains from Isturitz Cave in southwestern France revealed unexpected genetic links between eastern and western European groups, challenging the idea that these populations remained isolated.
Entities
El Mirón cave · Gravettian culture · Isturitz Cave · Science Advances · University of Vienna
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The genetic data indicates the inhabitants had a western ancestry group with dark skin, hair, and eyes. world-today-journal.com · www.sciencealert.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A woman's remains from Isturitz Cave provided a 30,000-year-old genome-wide genetic dataset. www.sciencedaily.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Researchers extracted 22,000-year-old human nuclear DNA from sediment in Spain's El Mirón Cave. world-today-journal.com · www.sciencealert.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Genetic evidence shows Ice Age European populations were more interconnected than previously thought. www.sciencedaily.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The team sequenced the sediment sample approximately 100 times to obtain usable data. world-today-journal.com · www.sciencealert.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The sediment sample contained no human bones, teeth, or fossils. world-today-journal.com · www.sciencealert.com