Newly Discovered Ancient Mummies Don’t Share DNA With Modern Humans

Between 14,800 and 5,500 years ago—during the African Humid Period—what we now call the Sahara was a lush savanna. It had lakes, wetlands, trees, and apparently a group of mysterious humans who don’t share DNA with any modern humans.

Popular Mechanics reported on a team led by archaeogeneticist Nada Salem at the Max Planck Institute. They discovered the two mummified women found in the Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya, dating back 7,000 years.

The researchers dug deep into their ancient DNA and found that these women weren’t genetically Sub-Saharan at all. They belonged to a previously unknown North African lineage that broke off from Sub-Saharan populations way before anyone was naming continents.

Ancient Mummies That Don’t Share DNA With Modern Humans Found by Scientists