The Ice Age was a difficult time for humans in Europe. But despite the extreme cold temperatures, our species managed to survive. Now, a new study has examined the genome data of 356 European hunter-gatherers from the period between 35,000 to 5,000 years ago, providing insight into how humans survived the Ice Age and how key physical traits such as light skin and blue eyes came to be in Europeans.
The study, published in the journal Nature, showed that while some populations managed to survive in warmer parts of Europe, such as France, Spain, and Portugal, other populations died out on the Italian peninsula. Furthermore, the genome data revealed that the Gravettian culture, known for certain types of stone tools, cave paintings, and small sculptures called “Venus” figurines, was made up of two largely unrelated populations with different genetic ancestries.
The Last Glacial Maximum was the coldest period of the Ice Age, and the only people who managed to survive were those who had found refuge in parts of France and the Iberian peninsula. The repopulation of the Italian peninsula 19,000 years ago was done by hunter-gatherers from the Balkans, and by 14,500 years ago, these hunter-gatherers had replaced all the people who had lived there.
The researchers also discovered that after Homo sapiens entered Europe from Africa over 45,000 years ago, they had dark skin. However, between 14,000 to 8,000 years ago, a shift towards light skin occurred, which accelerated with the spread of farming on the continent.
The findings of this study provide a unique insight into the population dynamics of prehistoric Europe and how humans managed to survive the harsh conditions of the Ice Age. By examining the genome data of these individuals, researchers can better understand how physical traits such as light skin and blue eyes came to be in Europeans, as well as the interbreeding between Eastern and Western Europeans that occurred after the first farmers arrived in Europe from Anatolia.
