Medieval DNA reveals trans-Saharan connections, rapid genetic mixing and leprosy in Islamic Ibiza
Phys.org • • health
Key Points:
- New DNA analysis of medieval Ibiza reveals a highly diverse population connected to Europe, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa through trade, migration, and social networks during the 10th to 12th centuries.
- The study identified genetic ancestries ranging from European to North African, with sub-Saharan African ancestry traced to present-day Senegambia and southern Chad, supporting historical records of trans-Saharan military and slave networks.
- North African gene flow into Ibiza is estimated to have begun two to seven generations before the late ninth century CE, coinciding with major Islamic expansions in the region.
- The research uncovered the first genetically confirmed case of leprosy in medieval Islamic Iberia, with burial practices indicating no social exclusion of the infected individual.
- Phylogenetic analysis of the leprosy genome suggests Ibiza was part of broader epidemiological networks, linking Mediterranean and European disease spread between the 7th and 13th centuries.
