Ancient DNA reveals a lost population near Paris replaced by strangers
Science Daily • • health
Key Points:
- Genetic analysis reveals a major population replacement, with earlier inhabitants related to Stone Age farmers from northern France and Germany, and later groups linked to southern France and the Iberian Peninsula.
- Ancient DNA shows presence of pathogens like Yersinia pestis (plague) and Borrelia recurrentis, but disease alone does not explain the population collapse, which was likely caused by multiple factors including environmental stress.
- Skeletal remains indicate high mortality rates, especially among children and young people, suggesting a demographic crisis during the earlier burial period.
- Social structure shifted after the collapse, from extended family groups in the earlier phase to a more selective, male-lineage-centered society in the later period.
- The findings contribute to understanding the broader Neolithic decline across northern and western Europe and coincide with the cessation of megalithic tomb construction during this time.
