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Human DNA can survive on cave walls for thousands of years, opening new window into prehistory
Phys dot org ^ | June 24, 2026 | Max Planck Society, edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan

Posted on 06/25/2026 5:49:00 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

...Although the researchers found traces of ancient human DNA in one pigmented calcite crust sampled in Escoural Cave (Portugal), to their surprise they also found ancient human DNA in several nonpigmented parts of the cave wall in Escoural as well as in Covarón Cave (northern Spain), which had initially been sampled as negative controls.

The study shows that human DNA can be preserved on cave walls long after the populations that visited the cave have disappeared...

Of the 54 samples collected, only five yielded authentic ancient human mitochondrial DNA...two of these samples showed no detectable faunal mitochondrial DNA, a rare finding that strongly suggests that the DNA was deposited directly by humans through saliva or other bodily fluids. By contrast, three other unpigmented wall samples contained both human and faunal DNA, suggesting indirect deposition, likely via sediment transfer or water movement rather than direct contact...

The human DNA of three of these samples comes mostly from females, one mostly from males, and one remains undetermined... the two unpigmented cave wall samples from Covarón revealed that their DNA belonged to modern humans, with nuclear DNA placing them within the Western hunter-gatherer genetic cluster. This is consistent with the findings for other ancient Iberian populations...

Despite favorable conditions... ancient DNA was detected in only one of the 24 rock art panels examined and two additional locations adjacent to other rock art panels. This rarity suggests that pigment surfaces rarely retain enough DNA to survive for thousands of years, particularly if they are not protected by mineral crusts or sealed environments.

(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: caveart; covaroncave; epigraphyandlanguage; escouralcave; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; monicalewinsky; portugal; spain
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Pigment sampling at a claviform rock art figure in Tebellín, Spain.
Credit: Alberto Martínez Villa; from: Bossoms Mesa et al., Nature Communications (2026)
Credit: Alberto Martínez Villa; from: Bossoms Mesa et al., Nature Communications (2026)

1 posted on 06/25/2026 5:49:00 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...

2 posted on 06/25/2026 5:49:37 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: SunkenCiv

*resists making a tasteless reply*


3 posted on 06/25/2026 5:55:09 AM PDT by Scarlett156 (Remember to pray. )
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To: Scarlett156

Heh... that’s probably why they lived in caves for so long.


4 posted on 06/25/2026 5:58:59 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: SunkenCiv

I also lasts a good while on WH intern blue dresses.


5 posted on 06/25/2026 6:02:50 AM PDT by suasponte137
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To: suasponte137

But, he “did not have sex with that woman”...


6 posted on 06/25/2026 6:16:12 AM PDT by Democrat = party of treason
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To: SunkenCiv

Such a waste of time.....and I’m sure they are very well paid and that there’s some kind of grant type money involved.


7 posted on 06/25/2026 6:24:55 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: SunkenCiv

We may have to pull down some statues.


8 posted on 06/25/2026 7:07:58 AM PDT by alternatives?
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To: Democrat = party of treason

Wasn’t it Lanny Davis who said, “Just because there’s semen doesn’t mean there was sex.”? (In relation to Monica’s Blue dress.)


9 posted on 06/25/2026 7:13:50 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam ( "Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away". - B. Franklin)
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To: SunkenCiv

All this is exciting. And it’s only in its infancy. Paper records reveal only a few thousand years of human history, yet humans have existed for two or three hundred thousand years, as well as we can tell. How exciting if we could learn about our prehistoric ancestors!


10 posted on 06/25/2026 7:21:53 AM PDT by Savage Beast (When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the people are ready, the hero appears.)
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To: MayflowerMadam

No, that was not Lanny Davis.

I forget that guys name but it was during a debate from a guest on Hannity and Colmes - Hannity kept playing it as a bumper to the show repeatedly after that.


11 posted on 06/25/2026 7:24:56 AM PDT by Republican Wildcat
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To: SunkenCiv
Never mind Jurassic Park.

Clone some cavemen (and then be disappointed when it turns out they are just people). {snicker}

12 posted on 06/25/2026 7:26:31 AM PDT by Salman (Antifa is the direct action wing of the Democratic Party.)
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To: Republican Wildcat

It must have been scrubbed. No matter how I ask the question in AI, there are “no results”.


13 posted on 06/25/2026 7:32:25 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam ( "Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away". - B. Franklin)
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To: SunkenCiv

Amazing! Thanks, SunkenCiv.


14 posted on 06/25/2026 7:44:30 AM PDT by Cincinnatus.45-70 (What do DemocRats enjoy more than a truckload of dead babies? Unloading them with a pitchfork!)
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To: MayflowerMadam

Victor Kamber is who said that.

Strangely I remembered I had an episode taped and hunted through my old recordings and found it - not that episode where he said it the first time, but where he came on a subsequent time and Hannity mentioned it and he said it again.

On this episode, Ellis Henican was sitting in for Alan Colmes. Victor Kamber was a guest as mentioned, and Lucianne Goldberg and Anne Coulter were other guests.


15 posted on 06/25/2026 7:47:10 AM PDT by Republican Wildcat
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*Ann, not Anne


16 posted on 06/25/2026 7:47:56 AM PDT by Republican Wildcat
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To: Republican Wildcat

“Victor Kamber is who said that.”

Thanks! I knew it had been said, but didn’t know who said it.


17 posted on 06/25/2026 7:56:13 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam ( "Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away". - B. Franklin)
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To: Republican Wildcat

“Ellis Henican was sitting in for Alan Colmes. Victor Kamber was a guest as mentioned, and Lucianne Goldberg and Anne Coulter were other guests.”

Wow. Flashback! Interesting days; interesting panel.


18 posted on 06/25/2026 7:58:04 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam ( "Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away". - B. Franklin)
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To: MayflowerMadam

Oh my goodness - I had almost forgot about this. This archive of these old recordings where I found what I mentioned above has a recording of a liberal rally protesting the investigation against Clinton where hardly anyone showed up - with the speaker talking about the people who came in “from all over the country.”

We had a ball talking about that “rally” here I remember.


19 posted on 06/25/2026 8:01:50 AM PDT by Republican Wildcat
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To: Savage Beast; Cincinnatus.45-70

Thanks! Lots more coming, I’m sure.


20 posted on 06/25/2026 8:36:37 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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