17,000-year-old DNA from Ice Age baby reveals dark skin and blue eyes
A 17,000-year-old baby skeleton found in the Grotta delle Mura cave in Italy offers new insights into human populations during the Ice Age. The remains, discovered in 1998, were recently analyzed for DNA, allowing scientists to reconstruct aspects of the child’s appearance, ancestry and health. The DNA results suggest the child likely had dark skin, blue eyes and curly hair – a combination found among other ancient European hunter-gatherers. The genetic profile links the child to an ancient population known as the Villabruna cluster, which lived in Europe after the last ice age.
This group represents an early lineage of modern Europeans, suggesting that the boyhood community may have been among the earliest ancestors of later European populations.
Hereditary heart condition revealed
The DNA analysis also indicates that the child may have had a genetic heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes the heart muscle to thicken. In infants, this condition can lead to congestive heart failure. This may explain the boy’s early death at an age of between seven months and one and a half years.
Teeth analysis reflects health and stress
Examination of the child’s teeth provided clues about his short life and the health of his mother. Multiple growth lines on the teeth suggest that both mother and child may have experienced physiological stress, likely due to malnutrition or disease, during and shortly after pregnancy. Further analysis showed that the mother remained close to her community during pregnancy, likely indicating a local lifestyle in the Apulia region.
Conservation and genetic study
The child’s remains were kept in the cool environment of Grotta delle Mura. This allowed scientists to recover about 75 percent of its genome. The preservation of ancient remains in warm climates is rare, making this genetic information particularly valuable for studying early human populations.
Implications for understanding Ice Age populations
This research sheds light on the adaptation and migration of ancient human populations during a period of significant environmental change. Genetic insights into the child’s traits and health can help scientists better understand the lives of early Europeans and their responses to Ice Age conditions.
