Before modern humans finally settled in Europe, other human populations left Africa for Europe starting around 60,000 years ago, but did not settle for long. This was due to the severe climate crisis 40,000 years ago, as well as the massive eruption of the Phlegraean Fields volcano near modern Naples and the resulting depopulation of ancient Europeans.

To determine who were the first modern humans to eventually settle in Europe, a team led by CNRS scientists analyzed the genome of two skull fragments from the Buran Kai III site in Crimea, dated to 36,000 and 37,000 years ago.

By comparing them to DNA sequences in human genome databases, they found a genetic affinity between these individuals and both present-day and ancient Europeans, particularly those associated with the Gravettian culture known for the production of female figurines called “Venus”. It was in Europe. It appeared between 31,000 and 23,000 years ago. The stone tools found at Buran-Kaya III also resemble some Gravettian assemblages.

Thus, the individuals studied here made a genetic and technological contribution to the population that enabled the emergence of this civilization approximately 5,000 years later. A study published in this journal Nature Ecology and Evolution October 23 documents the first arrival of European ancestors.