Last updated: February 13, 2026 4 article summaries Focus: North African population genetics
Research Papers

Recent Studies in North African Genetics

Summaries of key peer-reviewed publications that advance our understanding of Amazigh (Berber) genetic heritage, ancient DNA from the Maghreb, and population dynamics across North Africa.

Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya
Ancient DNA Jan 2025

Ancient DNA from the Green Sahara Reveals Ancestral North African Lineage

Salem et al. recover ~7,000-year-old DNA from Libya, revealing a basal haplogroup N lineage and complex population dynamics during the Green Sahara period.

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H haplogroup distribution map relevant to North African mitogenome analyses
Mitochondrial DNA Jan 2025

The Origin of Modern North Africans as Depicted by a Massive Survey of Mitogenomes

Colombo et al. analyze 733 modern and 43 ancient mitogenomes, confirming H1 subclade distributions and female-mediated dispersals across North Africa.

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Maghreb map contextualizing Neolithic migration into Northwest Africa
Ancient DNA Jun 2023

Northwest African Neolithic Initiated by Migrants from Iberia and Levant

Villalba-Mouco et al. present ancient DNA from Neolithic Morocco revealing European Neolithic ancestry and confirming trans-Gibraltar migration routes.

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Distribution chart of E-PF2546 in North Africa
Y-Chromosome Nov 2017

Whole Y-Chromosome Sequences Reveal an Extremely Recent Origin of E-M183

Sole-Morata et al. use whole Y-chromosome sequencing to date E-M81 TMRCA to ~2,000-3,000 years ago, revealing a star-like demographic expansion.

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About These Summaries

Each summary highlights findings relevant to the Amazigh (Berber) lineages discussed on this site, specifically the E-PF2546 Y-DNA and H1-T16189C! mtDNA haplogroups from the Souss-Massa region. For complete methodology and data, please refer to the original publications linked on each page.

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