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7k-year-old skeletons from the green Sahara reveal a mysterious human lineage

smithsonianmag.com

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Re: 7k-year-old skeletons from the green Sahara reveal a mysterious human lineage

#2
> "despite practicing animal husbandry—a cultural innovation that originated outside Africa"

Animal husbandry was a response to unproductive hunting. And since desertification - hence unproductive hunting- started long time ago in Africa, it makes sense that animal husbandry started there too before it appeared elsewhere.

Re: 7k-year-old skeletons from the green Sahara reveal a mysterious human lineage

#3

> "despite practicing animal husbandry—a cultural innovation that originated outside Africa" Animal husbandry was a response to unproductive hunting. And since desertification - hence unproductive hunting- started long time ago in Africa, it makes sense that animal husbandry started there too before it appeared elsewhere.

it is one logical pathway, but another is to simply move to a new area, rather than develop animal husbandry. Which one seems more likely?

Re: 7k-year-old skeletons from the green Sahara reveal a mysterious human lineage

#4

> "despite practicing animal husbandry—a cultural innovation that originated outside Africa" Animal husbandry was a response to unproductive hunting. And since desertification - hence unproductive hunting- started long time ago in Africa, it makes sense that animal husbandry started there too before it appeared elsewhere.

I think the development cordage(rope) and woodworking techniques would have a heavy influence on slowing down, noticing the surrounding abundance. Once a location becomes favorable more substantial and long lasting structures could be made.

My question is what was the divide that kept these groups at 50kyo. Something kept them apart.

I hope they get samples from different beings to analyze.

Re: 7k-year-old skeletons from the green Sahara reveal a mysterious human lineage

#5

> "despite practicing animal husbandry—a cultural innovation that originated outside Africa" Animal husbandry was a response to unproductive hunting. And since desertification - hence unproductive hunting- started long time ago in Africa, it makes sense that animal husbandry started there too before it appeared elsewhere.

it is one logical pathway, but another is to simply move to a new area, rather than develop animal husbandry. Which one seems more likely?

Both at the same time. If you repeatedly migrate in order to maintain a foraging and hunting lifestyle, you are sufficiently aware of the undependability of foraging and hunting to make large R&D investments in experimental methods of agriculture and animal husbandry.

Re: 7k-year-old skeletons from the green Sahara reveal a mysterious human lineage

#6

> "despite practicing animal husbandry—a cultural innovation that originated outside Africa" Animal husbandry was a response to unproductive hunting. And since desertification - hence unproductive hunting- started long time ago in Africa, it makes sense that animal husbandry started there too before it appeared elsewhere.

it is one logical pathway, but another is to simply move to a new area, rather than develop animal husbandry. Which one seems more likely?

Depends on how many science points and settlers you have, and where you are on the rest of the tech tree.

Re: 7k-year-old skeletons from the green Sahara reveal a mysterious human lineage

#7
Paper @ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08793-7

"Our admixture dating analysis points to events far back in time, suggesting a more heterogeneous spread of pastoralism and food production in the Sahara compared to Morocco and East Africa"

Re: 7k-year-old skeletons from the green Sahara reveal a mysterious human lineage

#8

> "despite practicing animal husbandry—a cultural innovation that originated outside Africa" Animal husbandry was a response to unproductive hunting. And since desertification - hence unproductive hunting- started long time ago in Africa, it makes sense that animal husbandry started there too before it appeared elsewhere.

"He majored in animal husbandry, until they caught him at it one day." - tom lehrer.

Re: 7k-year-old skeletons from the green Sahara reveal a mysterious human lineage

#9
What's interesting is that the population remained isolated for tens of thousands of years.

Generally speaking, people move around and are promiscuous. Staying isolated for that long implies a physical barrier, because cultures generally don't survive for 40,000 years. But an isolated population means genetic issues - but if the population is big then they should have spread at least somewhat.

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