Population interconnectivity over the past 120,000 years explains distribution and diversity of Central African hunter-gatherers

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113936119
• Publication Date: 2022-05-17T17:59:39Z
• Authors: Cecilia Padilla-I...; Lane M. Atmore; Jesús Olivero; Karen Lupo; Andrea Manica; Epifanía Arango I...; Lucio Vinicius; Andrea Bamberg Mi...
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 550; 330; hunter-gatherers; 10127 Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; 03 medical and health sciences; population dynamics; Humans; Anthropology, Cultural; Population Density; 2. Zero hunger; 1000 Multidisciplinary; Antropología; Multidisciplinary; Central Africa; 300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology; 10207 Department of Evolutionary Anthropology; Genetic Variation; Agriculture; environmental change; Cultural Diversity; Biological Sciences; 15. Life on land; Africa central - Prehistoria; Cazadores-recolectores; Archaeology; Etnología; ecological niche modelling; Africa; Biogeografía

Significance

We combined ethnographic, archaeological, genetic, and paleoclimatic data to model the dynamics of Central African hunter-gatherer populations over the past 120,000 years. We show, against common assumptions, that their distribution and density are explained by changing environments rather than by a displacement following recent farming expansions, and that they have maintained large population sizes and genetic diversity, despite fluctuations in niche availability. Our results provide insights into the evolution of genetic and cultural diversity in Homo sapiens .