Overview
- Researchers sequenced genome-wide DNA from 28 individuals dated to roughly 10,200–150 years ago, revealing a southern African population that remained largely genetically separate for at least about 200,000 years.
- Clear signs of outside gene flow appear only around 1,400 years ago, when ancestry from East and West African groups becomes detectable in southern African individuals.
- Across archaeological layers spanning about 10,000 years, the individuals are genetically consistent despite shifts in toolmaking, indicating cultural change without large-scale population replacement.
- The genomes preserve extensive early human diversity and include Homo sapiens–specific variants affecting kidney function, immune responses and neuron growth, alongside three southern-only variants linked to UV protection and pigmentation.
- Roughly 80% of this ancient genetic legacy persists in present-day Khoe-San populations, and southern-derived variants appear in individuals from present-day Malawi about 8,000 years ago, consistent with northward movements during favorable climates.