A paleogenetic study published in Cell Genomics has discovered the earliest known evidence of genetic selection for metabolic efficiency in Neolithic farmers from the Iberian Meseta. Analyzing 5,500-year-old skeletal remains, researchers found a significant frequency of the FMN1 variant, which is associated with enhanced adipose tissue energy storage during periods of low caloric intake.
The study suggests that this genetic shift was an evolutionary response to the extreme climatic volatility and seasonal famine cycles that plagued the early agricultural transition in Western Europe. This research provides a critical link between ancient environmental stress and the genetic architecture of modern human metabolism, highlighting how prehistoric crises shaped our biological resilience.