Latest news with #AfricanHumidPeriod
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Africans survived 10,000 years of climate changes by adapting food systems – study offers lessons for modern times
Imagine living in a place where a single drought, hurricane, or mudslide can wipe out your food supply. Across Africa, many communities do exactly that – navigate climate shocks like floods, heatwaves, and failed harvests. What's often overlooked in the development policies to tackle these threats is a powerful sources of insight: Africa's own history. Around 14,700 to 5,500 years ago, much of Africa experienced wetter conditions – a time referred to as the African Humid Period. As wet conditions declined around 5,500 years ago, major social, cultural, and environmental changes ensued across the continent. We're part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists who recently published a study about how diverse African communities adapted to climate variability over the past 10,000 years. This is the first study to explore thousands of years of change in people's livelihoods across the continent using isotopic data. This continent-wide approach offers novel insights into how livelihoods formed and evolved across space and time. Prior theories often assumed that societies and their food systems evolved in a linear way. In other words they developed from simple hunting and gathering communities to politically and socially complex societies practising agriculture. Instead, what we see is a complex mosaic of adaptable strategies that helped people survive. For 10,000 years, African communities adapted by mixing herding, farming, fishing and foraging. They blended different practices based on what worked at different times in their specific environment. That diversity across communities and regions was key to human survival. That has real lessons for food systems today. Our research suggests that rigid, top-down development plans, including ones that privilege intensifying agriculture over diversified economies, are unlikely to succeed. Many modern policies promote narrow approaches, like focusing only on cash crops. But history tells a different story. Resilience isn't about choosing the 'best' or most 'intensive' method and sticking with it. Rather it's about staying flexible and blending different strategies to align with local conditions. The clues left behind We were able to develop our insights by looking at the clues left behind by the food people ate and the environments they lived in. We did this by analysing the chemical traces (isotopes) in ancient human and domestic animal bones from 187 archaeological sites across the African continent. We sorted the results into groups with similar features, or 'isotopic niches'. Then we described the livelihood and ecological characteristics of these niches using archaeological and environmental information. Read more: Our methods illustrated a wide range of livelihood systems. For example, in what are now Botswana and Zimbabwe, some groups combined small-scale farming with wild food gathering and livestock herding after the African Humid Period. In Egypt and Sudan, communities mixed crop farming – focused on wheat, barley, and legumes – with fishing, dairy, and beer brewing. Herders, in particular, developed highly flexible strategies. They adapted to hot plains, dry highlands, and everything in between. Pastoral systems (farming with grazing animals) show up at more archaeological sites than any other food system. They also have the widest range of chemical signatures – evidence of their adaptability to shifting environments. Our study also used isotopic data to build up a picture of how people were using livestock. Most animal management systems were reliant on grasses (plants such as millet and tropical pasture), and adapted to diverse ecological conditions. Some systems were highly specialised to semi-arid and mountainous environments. Others included mixed herds adapted to wetter or lower elevation regions. In other cases, animals were kept as stock in small numbers to supplement other livelihoods – providing milk, dung, and insurance against crop failure. Read more: This adaptability helps clarify why, over the past millennium, pastoral systems have remained so important, especially in areas with increasing aridity. Mixed livelihood strategies The study also provides strong evidence for interactions between food production and foraging, whether at community or regional level. Dynamic, mixed livelihood strategies, including interactions like trade within and between communities near and far, were especially apparent during periods of climatic stress. One of these periods was the end of the African Humid Period (from about 5,500 years ago), when a drier climate created new challenges. In south-eastern Africa, from 2,000 years ago, there was a rise of diverse livelihood systems blending herding, farming and foraging in complex ways. These systems likely emerged in response to complex environmental and social change. Complex changes in social networks – especially around sharing land, resources, and knowledge – likely underpinned the development of this resilience. Read more: How the past can inform the future Ancient livelihood strategies offer a playbook for surviving climate change today. Our analysis suggests that over thousands of years, communities that combined herding, farming, fishing and gathering were making context-specific choices that helped them weather unpredictable conditions. They built food systems that worked with the land and sea, not against them. And they leaned on strong social networks, sharing resources, knowledge and labour. Past responses to climate shifts can inform current and future strategies for building resilience in regions facing socio-environmental pressures. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Leanne N. Phelps, Columbia University and Kristina Guild Douglass, Columbia University Read more: Climate crisis in Africa exposes real cause of hunger – colonial food systems that leave people more vulnerable Tracing the history of farming across Africa gives clues to low production outputs Research and development are key to resilient food systems in Africa Leanne N. Phelps is affiliated with Columbia Climate School at Columbia University; Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK; and NGO Vaevae based in Andavadoake, Toliara, Madagascar Kristina Guild Douglass receives funding from The US National Science Foundation. She is affiliated with the NGO Vae Vae. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
7,000-Year-Old Mummies Discovered Without Modern Human DNA
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Two 7,000-year-old mummies from the Takarkori rock shelter in the Sahara have been found to be from a group with a previously unknown ancestry. DNA analysis of the mummies, which are the remains of female herders from a time when the Sahara was more humid and known as the Green Sahara, did not show the expected Sub-Saharan genes. The Takarkori individuals are most closely related to other North African peoples who diverged from Sub-Saharan populations long before. While the Sahara is now a vast expanse of sand where the fight for survival can be brutal, there was a time (however difficult that is to believe) when it was actually green and flourishing. Between 14,800 and 5,500 years ago, during what is known as the African Humid Period, the desert known for being one of the driest places on Earth actually had enough water to support a way of life. Back then, it was a savannah that early human populations settled in to take advantage of the favorable farming conditions. Among them was a mysterious people who lived in what is now southwestern Libya and should have been genetically Sub-Saharan—except, upon a modern analysis, their genes didn't reflect that. Led by archaeogeneticist Nada Salem from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, a team of researchers analyzed the genes of two 7,000-year-old naturally preserved mummies of Neolithic female herders from the Takarkori rock shelter. Though genetic material does not preserve well in arid climates, which is why much about ancient human populations in the Sahara remains a mystery, there was enough fragmented DNA to give insights into their past. 'The majority of Takarkori individuals' ancestry stems from a previously unknown North African genetic lineage that diverged from sub-Saharan African lineages around the same time as present-day humans outside Africa and remained isolated throughout most of its existence,' they said in a study recently published in Nature. The Takarkori individuals are actually close relatives of 15,000-year-old foragers from Taforalt Cave in Morocco. Both lineages have about the same genetic distance from Sub-Saharan groups that existed during that period, which suggests that there was not much gene flow between Sub-Saharan and Northen Africa at the time. The Taforalt people also have half the Neanderthal genes of non-Africans, while the Takarkori have ten times less. What is strange is that they still have more Neanderthal DNA than other sub-Saharan peoples who were around at the time. While the Takarkori apparently had less contact with Neanderthals than the Taforalt, they must have somehow had more contact than other groups in their region. There are also traces of evidence for admixture with farmers from the Levant. Otherwise, the genes of the Takarkori reveal them to have been mostly isolated. They were genetically close to Northwestern African foragers such as the Taforalt but otherwise distinct from Sub-Saharan populations. This can only mean that there was not much genetic exchange in the Green Sahara during the African Humid Period. It used to be thought that farming practices spread through the region by migrations. Salem's team has another explanation. 'Our findings suggest that pastoralism spread through cultural diffusion into a deeply divergent, isolated North African lineage that had probably been widespread in Northern Africa during the late Pleistocene epoch,' they said in the same study. It seems that farming spread through the exchange of practices between cultures rather than admixture resulting from migrations. The Takarkori are thought to have inherited their genes from a hunter-gatherer group that was around during a period before animals were domesticated and farming began. Despite being hunter-gatherers, the ancestors of the Takarkori made advances in the manufacture of pottery, baskets, and tools made of wood and bone. They also stayed in one place for longer periods of time. The reason the Takarkori stayed isolated probably has to do with the diversity of environments in the Green Sahara. These ranged from lakes and wetlands to woodlands to grasslands, savannas and even mountains. Such differences in habitats were barriers to interaction between human populations. Somewhere in the sands of the Sahara and the sands of time, there might be hidden mummies or artifacts waiting to tell us more about what life was like in the desert before it dried out. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Saba Yemen
09-04-2025
- Science
- Saba Yemen
Discovery of an Unknown Human Race in Libya Reveals Secrets of North African Population
Tripoli - (Saba): A recent scientific study has revealed the presence of a previously unknown human race in North Africa, dating back to the period of human dispersal outside the continent 50,000 years ago. An international research team from the Max Planck Institute in Germany and the Italian universities of Florence and Rome discovered the DNA of two women's remains at the Tarkori rock shelter in the Libyan desert, dating back to the African Humid Period. The study showed that the Sahara Desert during that period was a fertile environment with water bodies and forests, which supported human settlement. Genetic analyses revealed a unique human race in North Africa that was isolated from sub-Saharan Africa, changing previous perceptions about genetic exchange between the two regions. Professor Johannes Krausz, Director of the Max Planck Institute, said that the results overturn previous concepts, while Dr. Nada Salem added that the study reveals a human civilization that developed in isolation in the green Sahara. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Discovered 7,000-Year-Old Mummies in the Desert That Don't Share DNA With Modern Humans
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Two 7,000-year-old mummies from the Takarkori rock shelter in the Sahara have been found to be from a group with a previously unknown ancestry. DNA analysis of the mummies, which are the remains of female herders from a time when the Sahara was more humid and known as the Green Sahara, did not show the expected Sub-Saharan genes. The Takarkori individuals are most closely related to other North African peoples who diverged from Sub-Saharan populations long before. While the Sahara is now a vast expanse of sand where the fight for survival can be brutal, there was a time (however difficult that is to believe) when it was actually green and flourishing. Between 14,800 and 5,500 years ago, during what is known as the African Humid Period, the desert known for being one of the driest places on Earth actually had enough water to support a way of life. Back then, it was a savannah that early human populations settled in to take advantage of the favorable farming conditions. Among them was a mysterious people who lived in what is now southwestern Libya and should have been genetically Sub-Saharan—except, upon a modern analysis, their genes didn't reflect that. Led by archaeogeneticist Nada Salem from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, a team of researchers analyzed the genes of two 7,000-year-old naturally preserved mummies of Neolithic female herders from the Takarkori rock shelter. Though genetic material does not preserve well in arid climates, which is why much about ancient human populations in the Sahara remains a mystery, there was enough fragmented DNA to give insights into their past. 'The majority of Takarkori individuals' ancestry stems from a previously unknown North African genetic lineage that diverged from sub-Saharan African lineages around the same time as present-day humans outside Africa and remained isolated throughout most of its existence,' they said in a study recently published in Nature. The Takarkori individuals are actually close relatives of 15,000-year-old foragers from Taforalt Cave in Morocco. Both lineages have about the same genetic distance from Sub-Saharan groups that existed during that period, which suggests that there was not much gene flow between Sub-Saharan and Northen Africa at the time. The Taforalt people also have half the Neanderthal genes of non-Africans, while the Takarkori have ten times less. What is strange is that they still have more Neanderthal DNA than other sub-Saharan peoples who were around at the time. While the Takarkori apparently had less contact with Neanderthals than the Taforalt, they must have somehow had more contact than other groups in their region. There are also traces of evidence for admixture with farmers from the Levant. Otherwise, the genes of the Takarkori reveal them to have been mostly isolated. They were genetically close to Northwestern African foragers such as the Taforalt but otherwise distinct from Sub-Saharan populations. This can only mean that there was not much genetic exchange in the Green Sahara during the African Humid Period. It used to be thought that farming practices spread through the region by migrations. Salem's team has another explanation. 'Our findings suggest that pastoralism spread through cultural diffusion into a deeply divergent, isolated North African lineage that had probably been widespread in Northern Africa during the late Pleistocene epoch,' they said in the same study. It seems that farming spread through the exchange of practices between cultures rather than admixture resulting from migrations. The Takarkori are thought to have inherited their genes from a hunter-gatherer group that was around during a period before animals were domesticated and farming began. Despite being hunter-gatherers, the ancestors of the Takarkori made advances in the manufacture of pottery, baskets, and tools made of wood and bone. They also stayed in one place for longer periods of time. The reason the Takarkori stayed isolated probably has to do with the diversity of environments in the Green Sahara. These ranged from lakes and wetlands to woodlands to grasslands, savannas and even mountains. Such differences in habitats were barriers to interaction between human populations. Somewhere in the sands of the Sahara and the sands of time, there might be hidden mummies or artifacts waiting to tell us more about what life was like in the desert before it dried out. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
CBS News
05-04-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Sahara desert, once lush and green, was home to mysterious human lineage, study says
The Sahara desert, once lush and green, during a time between 14,500 and 5,000 years ago, was also home to a mysterious human lineage, a new study has found. Researchers from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology detailed in a study published in Nature this week their findings from the DNA of two 7,000-year-old naturally mummified individuals excavated from the Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya. The humans lived during the "African Humid Period," when the Sahara desert was green and dotted with lakes and streams. Humans lived in the area, and pastoralism — or flock tending — was prevalent, researchers said. Aridification, when a region becomes gradually and increasingly drier, turned the once lush oasis into the Sahara desert known today. Using genomic analysis, the researchers found that the North African lineage diverged from sub-Saharan African populations at about the same time as the modern human lineages that spread outside of Africa around 50,000 years ago. The Takarkori mummies had their own unique and isolated lineage. The mummies shared close genetic ties with 15,000-year-old foragers that lived during the Ice Age in Taforalt Cave, Morocco. Researchers also traced the mummies' Neandertal ancestry and found they have tenfold less Neandertal DNA than people outside Africa, but more than contemporary sub-Saharan Africans. "Our findings suggest that while early North African populations were largely isolated, they received traces of Neandertal DNA due to gene flow from outside Africa," senior author Johannes Krause, director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, said in a statement. The findings also revealed that the "Green Sahara" wasn't as widely used for migration as previously thought, researchers said. That meant instead of different populations intermixing during large movements, groups more than likely interacted infrequently, and did so through cultural interchange. "Our research challenges previous assumptions about North African population history and highlights the existence of a deeply rooted and long-isolated genetic lineage," said Nada Salem, a first author and researcher from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. "This discovery reveals how pastoralism spread across the Green Sahara, likely through cultural exchange rather than large-scale migration."
