A team of paleogenomicists has published a landmark study in Cell Research detailing the genetic analysis of human remains found in the Hoggar Mountains of the central Sahara. The study identifies a previously unknown "ghost population" that existed during the "Green Sahara" period, providing the first genetic evidence of a unique lineage that contributed to the ancestry of modern West African populations.
This paleogenomic breakthrough reveals that these ancient foragers possessed specific genetic adaptations for hyper-arid environments that were later passed down as the Sahara began to desertify. The findings challenge existing models of human migration in Africa, suggesting that the Holocene Sahara was a far more complex genetic melting pot than previously hypothesized.