Ancient DNA reveals long distance connections in Ice Age Europe

Researchers from the University of Vienna analyzed ancient DNA to discover that Ice Age populations in Europe were more connected than previously thought.

By combining new genomes with human DNA found in cave sediments, the team identified genetic exchanges between eastern and western European populations. The study identified a woman who lived in southwestern France about 30,000 years ago. Her genetic profile showed ancestry from both western and central or eastern Europe.

This finding suggests that people on opposite sides of the continent interacted and exchanged genes between 32,500 and 31,500 years ago. These results help reconcile archaeological evidence of the Gravettian culture, which spread across Europe between 34,000 and 25,000 years ago, with previous genetic data that suggested more isolated groups. The researchers also found that western European ancestry persisted through the Last Glacial Maximum, a period of extreme cold.

In northern Spain, DNA from a sediment layer dating to approximately 22,000 years ago confirmed that people inhabited the Iberian Peninsula during these harsh conditions. Additionally, analysis of a male fetus in southern Italy suggests that ancient families may have practiced mating habits to avoid inbreeding despite sharing a common genetic background.