The study published in Nature and co-led by Ron Pinhasi, University of Vienna, David Reich and Mark Lipson, Harvard Medical School, Alfredo Coppa, Sapienza University of Rome, and Giulio Lucarini, National Research Council of Italy, analyzed genome-wide data for nine individuals from the Later Stone Age through the Neolithic period from the eastern Maghreb (Algeria and Tunisia). Their results challenge the assumption that the region was merely a passive recipient of Neolithic influences - instead, they identified a striking pattern of continuity.
The genetic and cultural resilience of eastern Maghreb
One of the most remarkable findings is that the eastern Maghreb was a region of strong genetic and cultural resilience. Unlike in western Maghreb, where European farmer ancestry reached up to 80% in some populations, eastern Maghreb saw a much more limited genetic impact from incoming farming groups. Instead of large-scale population replacement, the introduction of food production in the region likely occurred through a mix of sporadic migration, cultural exchange, and the gradual diffusion of knowledge. While European farmers contributed approximately 20% of the genetic material, the populations of the eastern Maghreb - unlike those in other parts of Europe and the western Maghreb - exhibited remarkable cultural and genetic resilience, remaining largely unaffected by the agricultural transformations occurring elsewhere. This aligns with archaeological evidence suggesting that the full adoption of farming in this region only took place during the 1st millennium BCE -communities in the region primarily relied on pastoralism, raising sheep and goats while continuing to collect land snails, hunt wild game, and gather plant resources.
Early mediterranean connections and Levantine ancestry
One of the study’s most intriguing discoveries is the presence of European hunter-gatherer ancestry in some Tunisian individuals, marking the first clear genetic evidence of contact between early European and North African populations. This finding suggests that seafaring routes across the Strait of Sicily facilitated human interactions in the Mediterranean much earlier than previously thought. The discovery of obsidian from Pantelleria - a volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily - at Hergla, one of the sites where the analyzed human remains were found, further strengthens evidence of early connections between the northern and southern Mediterranean shores. Although no boat remains from this period have been found in North Africa, the presence of approximately 7,000-year-old dugout canoes at Lake Bracciano in central Italy suggests that open-sea navigation was already technologically feasible.
Another key finding of the study is the identification of early Levantine-related ancestry in the eastern Maghreb, predating the arrival of European farmer ancestry by several centuries. This genetic signature is likely linked to the introduction of domesticated animals - such as sheep and goats - by early pastoralist groups moving westward from the Levant.
The results of this study demonstrate that the transition to food production was not a uniform process but rather a dynamic and regionally diverse phenomenon. By examining these ancient human movements, researchers gain valuable insights into patterns of migration and adaptation - processes that continue to shape societies today.
"Several decades ago, some biological anthropologists proposed that European and North African hunter-gatherers had made contact, based on morphological analyses of skeletal traits. At the time, this theory appeared overly speculative. However, 30 years later, our new genomic data has validated these early hypotheses. This is really exciting.", says Ron Pinhasi.
Original Publication:
Reich, D., Lipson, M., Ringbauer, H., Lucarini, G., Aouadi, N., Aoudia, L., Cheronet, O., Dahmani, A.-R., Genchi, F., La Pastina, F., Lucci, M., De Lumley, H., Mansouri, N., Nava, A., Touj, F., Mallick, S., Rohland, N., Coppa, A., & Pinhasi, R. (2025). High continuity of forager ancestry in the Neolithic of the eastern Maghreb. Nature. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08699-4
Contact:
Univ.-Prof. Ron Pinhasi, PhD
Department for Evolutionary Anthropology
University of Vienna
1030 - Wien, Djerassiplatz 1
+43-1-4277-547 21
+43-664-60277-547 21
ron.pinhasi@univie.ac.at
