Ancient leather reveals 7,000 year genetic link to modern Spanish goats

Researchers from University College Dublin and international colleagues identified ancient DNA from a 7,000 year old goat leather fragment in southern Spain.

The team analyzed a piece of tanned and perforated leather found at the Cueva de los Murciélagos burial site. This find dates back to the Early Neolithic period. The genetic analysis shows that the leather came from a domestic goat closely related to the modern Bermeya breed from northern Spain.

This discovery proves that Neolithic people in the Iberian Peninsula were already using domestic goats instead of wild Iberian ibex. It also establishes a continuous lineage of goat genetics in the region spanning several millennia. The study noted a lack of African genetic heritage in the sample, which differs from the makeup of modern European goats. This suggests that cultural connections between the Iberian Peninsula and Africa might have developed after the Neolithic period.

However, the researchers noted that the sample is incomplete and more preserved DNA could provide further details on prehistoric livestock history.