MetaculusAPR 4
The discovery challenges long-held assumptions about human migration patterns in ancient Africa. It shows that pastoralism spread through cultural exchange rather than population movement. The Green Sahara's inhabitants maintained their distinct genetic identity while adopting new technologies and practices from neighboring groups.
The findings suggest a more complex picture of human prehistory in North Africa, where isolated populations could have existed in pockets across the region. The limited genetic mixing between northern and southern populations indicates stronger barriers to human movement than previously thought, despite the favorable environmental conditions of the Green Sahara.