The Sahara Desert, a region often associated with extreme aridity, was once home to a lush green savannah teeming with life. Research on the remains of two individuals found in what is now Libya has shed light on a mysterious human lineage that lived there around 7,000 years ago.
According to DNA analysis, this isolated population remained genetically distinct from sub-Saharan and Eurasian groups for thousands of years, despite practicing animal husbandry, a cultural innovation that originated outside Africa. The study, published in the journal Nature, reveals that the Takarkori individuals descended from a North African lineage that separated from sub-Saharan populations around 50,000 years ago.
This finding provides new insights into the region’s deep history and suggests that the Green Sahara people had limited contact with outside populations, including Neanderthals. The study’s authors note that the Takarkori population itself disappeared around 5,000 years ago when the African Humid Period ended and the desert returned, but their genetic legacy persists among various North African groups today.
This discovery highlights the complexity of human migration patterns and the importance of preserving cultural heritage in remote regions like Libya. As researchers continue to uncover the secrets of our species’ past, they may shed more light on the mysterious Green Sahara human lineage and its place in human history.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/sahara-desert-once-lush-green-was-home-mysterious-human-lineage-2025-04-04