There has been an ongoing debate over the transition to agriculture in the region, Jakobsson explained. The genetic and archaeological data suggested that local groups in northwestern Africa quickly adopted farming practices introduced by incoming Europeans during the Early Neolithic, despite limited initial mixing with the migrants. "[C]ultural and technological knowledge appear to have been transferred mainly from European Neolithic farmers to local groups … whereas genetic ancestry flowed only from local groups to the incoming farmers," the authors explained. On the other hand, ancestry from the Levant only turned up during a transition to pastoralism in the Middle Neolithic. By the Late Neolithic, the researchers reported, the region was home to individuals with ancestry from Maghrebi, Neolithic European, and Levant groups.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 07, 2023 19:05 UTC