A paleogenomic study published in PLOS Biology has identified a lost Pleistocene lineage in the Mekong Basin with a specialized genetic adaptation to riparian neurotoxins. The analysis of 13,000-year-old remains found in Laos revealed unique enzyme-producing markers that allowed the population to safely consume specific species of freshwater snails and shellfish containing naturally occurring neurotoxic compounds.
This genetic signature suggests that these early foragers were highly adapted to the specific riverine ecosystem of the Mekong, enabling them to thrive in dietary niches that were inaccessible to other migratory groups. The study provides critical evidence for the complexity of human dispersal and dietary specialization in Southeast Asia during the transition from the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene.