8000 Years of European Evolution Disclosed by Genome Study
Through the analysis of 230 samples of prehistoric genome, scientists believe they have identified the genes that gave rise to the European Neolithic revolution - with the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and domestication. They have also been able to detect variations in 12 genes associated with traits such as skin color, eye color, tolerance to lactose, and the height difference visible in European populations.
A recent study, published in the journal Nature and led by the Harvard Medical School in the United States (among 28 other research centers) has allowed the analysis of 230 samples of prehistoric genetic material. With the results obtained from the samples, including 15 from the Spanish cave of El Mirador de Atapuerca, a portrait has been sketched of the evolution of the European continent’s inhabitants in recent millennia.
The emergence of agriculture in Europe, about 8,000 years ago, produced great lifestyle changes - and those changes entailed a number of adaptations that are clearly reflected in the DNA of prehistoric peoples.
http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-evolution-human-origins/8000-years-european-evolution-disclosed-genome-study-004671
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature16152.html
http://hms.harvard.edu/