Genetic sequencing reveals previously unknown details of human migration into Europe

A new study has sequenced the genetic remains of the oldest modern humans in Europe. The humans lived around 45,000 years ago in Bacho Kiro Cave in Bulgaria. The researchers have found that the early human group in Europe contributed genes to the later people.

The researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany found that the early humans genetic related to present-day East Asians. The study has been published in the journal Nature. The researchers also identified Neandertal DNA in the genes of the Bacho Kiro Cave people. It showed that they had Neandertal ancestors about five to seven generations back.

The research is based on an analysis of several ancient humans remain including a whole tooth and bone fragments found in a cave in Bulgaria last year. The researchers found the genetic remains of five individuals found at the Bacho Kiro Cave. Four individuals who were found in the cave were between 43,000 to 46,000 years old. 

They were found with stone tools belonging to the Upper Palaeolithic age. Another individual found in the cave was around 35,000 years old and was found with stone tools of a modern times. The researchers found that the oldest people had contributed genes to people in the present time. The contribution is found particularly in East Asia and the Americans. Mateja Hajdinjak, the author of the study said, 

We found that the Bacho Kiro Cave individuals had higher levels of Neandertal ancestry than nearly all other early humans, with the exception of a 40,000-year-old individual from Romania. Crucially, most of this Neandertal DNA comes in extremely long stretches. This shows that these individuals had Neandertal ancestors some five to seven generations back in their family trees.

The researchers found that modern humans frequently intermixed with Neandertals. Svante Paabo, who coordinated the genetic research found that the modern humans from Eurasia even absorbed into the residents of the Neandertal population. It was after years when the modern humans arrived and replaced them.

The results suggest that the first modern humans that arrived in Eurasia mixed frequently with Neandertals. They may even have become absorbed into resident Neandertal populations. Only later on did larger modern human groups arrive and replace the Neandertals.

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