The skeleton of a hunter-gatherer discovered in the Leang Panninge cave in Indonesia has shed light on the migration patterns of ancient humans.
The remains, nicknamed Bessé, were found in the Leang Panninge cave on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Initial excavations were conducted in 2015, according to the Guardian.
Professor Adam Brumm from Griffith University, one of the leaders of the study, stated that intact DNA is a rare find.
The discovery was published in the journal Nature. This is believed to be the first time DNA from ancient humans has been found in Wallacea, a vast archipelago and coral reef area in the ocean between the Asian mainland and Australia.
The skeleton of an ancient Toalean woman found in a burial pit in the Leang Panninge cave in Indonesia. (Photo: Guardian).
Mr. Brumm noted: “Tropical humid regions are very challenging for preserving DNA in the bones and teeth of ancient humans. Only one or two skeletons from the prehistoric era have ancient DNA in Southeast Asia.”
“In other parts of the world – the northern latitudes of Europe, the Americas – ancient DNA analysis is revolutionizing our understanding of the early story of humanity: the genetic diversity of ancient people, population movements, and demographic history.”
Researchers describe Bessé as a “genetic fossil”. Mr. Brumm explained that the gene sequencing revealed she has a unique ancestral history, unlike anyone living today or from ancient times.
About half of Bessé’s genetic makeup is similar to that of present-day Indigenous Australians, people from New Guinea, and those from the western Pacific islands.
Mr. Brumm stated: “Her ancestors would have been part of the early migration wave of primitive people from the Asian mainland through Wallacea to Sahul, the landmass combining Australia and New Guinea during the Ice Age.”
Surprisingly, Bessé’s DNA also shows an ancient connection to East Asia. This raises questions about our understanding of the timeline of migration to Wallacea.
“If we find Asian ancestors from a hunter-gatherer who lived thousands of years before the Neolithic people arrived from Taiwan, it suggests an earlier migration of Asians to this region,” Mr. Brumm said.
Bessé is also the first known skeleton belonging to the Toalean culture, a group of hunter-gatherers who lived in South Sulawesi from 1,500 to 8,000 years ago.
