Oldest human genome found in southern Spain

The 23-year-old remains of the human genome recovered from the Cueva del Malalmuerzo finally provide data from a time when large parts of Europe were covered with large ice rocks.

Berlin: A team of international scientists has recovered 23000-year-old genome data from a man believed to have lived in possibly Europe's hottest place at the peak of the last ice age. Genomes of ancient farmers  to  years old have been found from other places including the Kueva de Ardels in the country. Scientists have analyzed ancient human DNA recovered from several archaeological sites located in Andalusia southern Spain.

The oldest human genome recovered from the southern part of Spain adds another mystery to the genetic history of Europe he said.

Actually after the death of an organism its DNA is protected only for a specified period under favorable climatic conditions. Isolating DNA from ancient remains in hot and dry climates is a major challenge for scientists.

The climatic conditions in Andalusia are similar to those in North Africa. However a 14000-year-old human DNA was successfully recovered from a cave in the North African country of Morocco.

Researchers can now trace the reason for the selection of the southern Iberian Peninsula to seek refuge in the Strait of Gibraltar during the last Ice Age and the contact points between individual communities when sea levels were much lower than they are today scientists said.

The genetic ancestry of people from central and southern Europe which existed during the last Ice Age between 24000 and 18000 years ago is different from those who later settled in Europe.

However due to the lack of genome data for that critical period the situation in Western Europe was not clear so far.

The 23-year-old remains of the human genome recovered from the Cueva del Malalmuerzo finally provide data from a time when large parts of Europe were covered with large ice rocks.