Unraveling the Timeline of Neanderthal and Human Interbreeding

Genomes from Yunnan in southwestern China, dating from 7,100 to 1,400 years ago, have been sequenced for the first time, revealing new insights about the links between different cultural groups from Tibet...

Ancient DNA from the Mediterranean region has revealed long-range connections and population transformations associated with the spread of food-producing economies1–6. However, in contrast to Europe, genetic data from this key transition in northern Africa are limited, and have only been available from the far western Maghreb (Morocco)1–3. Here we present genome-wide data for nine individuals from the Later Stone Age through the Neolithic period from Algeria and Tunisia. The earliest individuals cluster with pre-Neolithic people of the western Maghreb (around 15,000–7,600 years before present (bp)), showing that this ‘Maghrebi’ ancestry profile had a substantial geographic and temporal extent. At least one individual from Djebba (Tunisia), dating to around 8,000 years bp, harboured ancestry from European hunter–gatherers, probably reflecting movement in the Early Holocene across the Strait of Sicily. Later Neolithic people from the eastern Maghreb retained largely local forager ancestr

July 5, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.