Common origins of Neolithic farmers in Europe traced

Popular Archaeology ^ | Thursday, September 03, 2015 | Spanish National Research Council

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Thanks to this newly sequenced genome, researchers have been able to determine that farmers from both the Mediterranean and inland routes are very homogeneous and clearly derive from a common ancestral population that, most likely, were the first farmers who entered Europe through Anatolia...

Analysis of the genome from Cova Bonica has made it possible to determine the appearance of these pioneer farmers, who had light skin and dark eyes and hair. This contrasts with previous Mesolithic hunters who, as the man from La Braña in León (Spain)—recovered in 2014 by the same research team—has demonstrated, had blue eyes and a darker skin than current Europeans. Both individuals are only separated by 600 years and 800 kilometers; however, they are very different from a genetic and physical standpoint. Modern Iberians mostly derive from these farmers, with Sardinians and Basques preserving the farming genetic component to the largest extent.

For Carles Lalueza-Fox, "this study is only the first step of a major project done in collaboration with David Reich at the Broad Institute that aims to create an Iberian paleogenomic transect, from the Mesolithic to the Middle Ages. So far, we have genomic data from fifty individuals and we want to reach more than one hundred. Being at the westernmost edge of Europe, the Iberian Peninsula is crucial to understanding the final impact of population movements such as the Neolithic or the later steppe migrations that entered Europe from the East."

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The cave named Cova Bonica, in Vallirana (Barcelona, Spain), where the remains were found. Courtesy Joan Daura/ Montserrat Sanz

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Domestication of the Bottle Gourd is at least 10000 years old and can be seen in Asia Europe and North America that far back. This article refers to Neolithic farming starting in parts of Southern Europe 8000 years ago.
Confusing to say the least

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Archaeologists find possible evidence of earliest human agriculture
theguardian.com | 7/24/2015 | Peter Beaumont
Posted on 7/25/2015 6:50:24 AM by GoneSalt
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3316426/posts

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