Nearly 9,000 years ago, farming communities from the Aegean and western Anatolia began advancing into Europe, bringing agriculture northward to present-day Germany. Archaeological finds and paleogenomic evidence have shown that they lived alongside indigenous hunter-gatherers for generations before farming fully took hold. The question has been whether this transition was driven mainly by knowledge exchange or by genetic admixture.
To probe this, the research team led by UNIGE geneticist Mathias Currat modeled the demographic and migratory dynamics of the Neolithic expansion. Their simulations incorporated geography, reproduction rates, migration jumps, and competition. "These simulations generated thousands of genetic scenarios, which we then compared to data from 67 prehistoric individuals from regions where the two groups had coexisted," Currat explained. Statistical analysis revealed that admixture was limited at first but grew steadily as farmers advanced into new regions. "Our results show that the Neolithic transition was not characterized by violent confrontation or complete replacement, but rather by prolonged coexistence with increasing levels of interbreeding," added lead author Alexandros Tsoupas.
The study also found that early farmers enjoyed a major demographic edge: their effective population size was about five times greater than that of local hunter-gatherers. Occasional long-distance migration jumps further accelerated their spread. These combined factors explain how agriculture gradually supplanted foraging while leaving a genetic legacy across Europe.
By merging ancient DNA with simulation techniques, the research provides a nuanced picture of Neolithization: not as a single colonization wave, but as a process of contact, cohabitation, and steadily intensifying interaction.
Research Report:Local increases in admixture with hunter-gatherers followed the initial expansion of Neolithic farmers across continental Europe
Ancient farming reveals deep roots of the Anthropocene
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Aug 15, 2025 -
An international team from Germany, the Netherlands, and China traced long term human impacts using a sediment core taken in 2005 during an expedition with the research vessel SONNE off East Java, Indonesia. River borne particles settle on the seafloor, preserving environmental signals for millennia.
The researchers showed how soil erosion evolved and why. They analyzed sediments spanning 5,000 years, targeting molecular markers of erosion and fire, and compared these with reconstructions of regional vegetation and hydroclimate. The approach revealed when different drivers dominated landscape change across the Maritime Continent.
They partitioned the past 5,000 years into phases of shifting erosion and matched these with other indicators. Farming began in the region about 3,500 years ago. Fire markers rose without changes in vegetation or humidity, pointing to slash and burn clearing. "Such early farming practices likely made soils more susceptible to erosion," said lead author Yanming Ruan.
Dr. Enno Schefuss of MARUM said: "In order to assess the influence of humans on the climate and environment, one must compare the current situation with an uninfluenced period. Our results show that we need to look back much further. In this case, we are talking about the 'deep root of the Anthropocene', i.e. the period in which humans have had a major impact on the natural environment and climate."
According to the study, permanent, more intensive agriculture produced the most severe soil erosion in roughly 500 years, amplified by strong monsoon rains. With continued global warming likely to bring more frequent and heavier rainfall in Indonesia, the team warns erosion could accelerate further, threatening natural resources.
Research Report:Late Holocene human impact on tropical soil erosion in the Maritime Continent.
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