For the first time, the complete genome of a 4 500 year-old African hunter-gatherer has been sequenced from DNA recovered from a skull recovered from Ethiopia’s highlands.
This enables a comparison to be made with the DNA from modern Africans, from which much can be learned about Africa’s early primogenitors, and especially about past migrations to and from Eurasia.
According to Dr Andrea Manica of the University of Cambridge who was responsible for the research, “Every single population for which we have data in Africa has a sizeable component of Eurasian ancestry”.
While human genomes have been extensively mapped from various parts of the world, the hot and humid climate of Africa has presented special challenges because of the fragile nature of DNA which can degenerate rapidly. The remains of Mota Man, however, were relatively well-preserved from the elements, having been deposited in a cave. The petrous bone, located just below the ear, was in particularly good condition.
Dr Manica continues, “What we were able to get is some very high quality undamaged DNA from which we could reconstruct the whole genome of the individual. We have the complete blueprint, every single gene, every single bit of information that made this individual that lived 4 500 years ago in Ethiopia”.
This story is from the Issue 107 - October/November 2016 edition of The African Hunter.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue 107 - October/November 2016 edition of The African Hunter.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Just Exactly Who Was The Malapati Bull?
The Malapati Bull, as I have chosen to call him until a more positive identification is made, was a large elephant which was shot by a German sport hunter, guided by PH Nixon Dzingai of Sengwe Safaris, on 7 October in the Malapati Safari Area outside Gonarezhou National Park.
The Tragic - and Needless - Deaths of Claudio and Max Chiarelli: Conspiracy Theories and Lessons Learned
At around 15.30 hours on Sunday, 13 March, the well-known and well-respected professional hunter Claudio Chiarelli, holder of Zimbabwe professional hunter’s licence number 58 (1989) and his son Max died tragically - and needlessly - in a hail of gunfire in the Mana Pools National Park. Initial reports blamed poachers, but in fact it was blue-on-blue: euphemistically-named “friendly fire”.
What we can Learn from the 4 500 Year Old DNA of a Primitive African Hunter
For the first time, the complete genome of a 4 500 year-old African hunter-gatherer has been sequenced from DNA recovered from a skull recovered from Ethiopia’s highlands.
Burkino Faso: An Adventure from Start to Finish
On January 18, 2016 there was a terrorist attack on the Splendid Hotel in a coffee shop in Burkina Faso’s capital of Ouagadougou.
Transgenic Mosquitoes Bred to Combat the Spread of Vector-Borne Disease
Over half a century ago, the Zika virus was first detected in Africa.
Hunting The Situatunga
The hunting of the spiral horned antelopes is a noble pursuit of magnificent creatures regardless of the species, country or the environment. They're all incredible in their own way.
