A breakthrough paleogenomic study published in Nature Genetics has analyzed the skeletal remains of hunter-gatherers from the Tassili n'Ajjer plateau in the central Sahara. The research identifies a specific genetic mutation in the metabolic pathway that allowed these early populations to process high levels of oxalates, chemical compounds found in desert succulents that are usually toxic to humans.
The study suggests that this adaptation was a direct response to the increasing aridity of the region at the end of the Green Sahara period. As traditional food sources vanished, these communities relied on resilient but chemically complex desert plants. This discovery provides the first evidence of rapid evolutionary selection for dietary toxins in ancient North African populations, highlighting the genetic resilience required for survival in shifting climates.