Ancient genomes from North Africa evidence prehistoric migrations to the Maghreb from both the Levant and Europe.

The extent to which prehistoric migrations of farmers influenced the genetic pool of western North Africans remains unclear. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Neolithization process may have happened through the adoption of innovations by local Epipaleolithic communities or by demic diffusion from the Eastern Mediterranean shores or Iberia. Here, we present an analysis of individuals' genome sequences from Early and Late Neolithic sites in Morocco and from Early Neolithic individuals from southern Iberia. We show that Early Neolithic Moroccans (∼5,000 BCE) are similar to Later Stone Age individuals from the same region and possess an endemic element retained in present-day Maghrebi populations, confirming a long-term genetic continuity in the region. This scenario is consistent with Early Neolithic traditions in North Africa deriving from Epipaleolithic communities that adopted certain agricultural techniques from neighboring populations. Among Eurasian ancient populations, Early Neolithic Moroccans are distantly related to Levantine Natufian hunter-gatherers (∼9,000 BCE) and Pre-Pottery Neolithic farmers (∼6,500 BCE). Late Neolithic (∼3,000 BCE) Moroccans, in contrast, share an Iberian component, supporting theories of trans-Gibraltar gene flow and indicating that Neolithization of North Africa involved both the movement of ideas and people. Lastly, the southern Iberian Early Neolithic samples share the same genetic composition as the Cardial Mediterranean Neolithic culture that reached Iberia ∼5,500 BCE. The cultural and genetic similarities between Iberian and North African Neolithic traditions further reinforce the model of an Iberian migration into the Maghreb.

Differences in tibial shape among the Prehispanic inhabitants from Gomera, Punta Azul (El Hierro), and Gran Canaria (Canary Islands).

ABSTRACT: The Canary Archipelago was colonized by North African Berbers who arrived at the Islands in the first millenium BC. Although it was classically considered that the prehispanic population was more or less uniform, recent genetic analysis has disclosed that some differences did exist between inhabitants of the different islands. From pure anthropometrical point of view, detailed inspection of some bones such as tibiae of prehispanic inhabitants of different islands allow the detection of some differences in tibial shape, especially regarding the relative size of both the proximal and distal thirds of these bones. On this basis, we have elaborated and calculated several indexes combining distal and proximal breadth measurements that define the global shape of the tibia. We have compared these indexes among the prehispanic population of the three islands for which sex has been accurately established. Both men and women from La Gomera, and, especially, from El Hierro, showed thicker distal ends of the tibiae with respect to proximal ones, in contrast with the population of Gran Canaria. In addition, differences among male and female tibiae were more marked among the population of Gran Canaria than among those of Gomera and El Hierro. Differences in these indexes could point either to differences in genetical background or to differences in activity. Compared with single anthropometric measurements, these indices separate better the population of the different islands. Just the opposite was observed when logistic regression analysis was used to analyse differences in sex.

Osteoarthritis among the prehispanic population from La Gomera and El Hierro (Canary Islands): a comparative study.

The pathogenesis of osteoarthritis is still unclear, and several factors may play a role in its development, including joint trauma or microtrauma (usually related to lifestyle), local inflammation, loading charge, and genetics. Assessment of osteoarthritis among ancient populations is important, since it may yield information relative to life habits. Therefore, we have performed the present study in order to assess the prevalence of osteoarthritis among the prehispanic populations from La Gomera and El Hierro, two islands of the Canary Archipelago with a similar size and altitude which were colonized by individuals of North African origin about 2000 - 2500 years ago. The economy of these people was based on goat herding, shellfishing, and agriculture together with consumption of some wild vegetal species. However, despite a similar geographic environment and a similar economic pattern, prevalence of osteoarthritis was by far higher among the population from La Gomera (78.57 % vs 15.85 %, p < 0.001), and that of eburnation, 11.65 % and 1.05 %, respectively (p = 0.016); in contrast, the population of El Hierro was markedly more robust than that of La Gomera. Globally, a trend to an inverse relationship was observed between epiphyseal robusticity index and the presence of osteoarthritis, which was statistically significant when only men were analysed. However, after performing a multivariate analysis, the only factor that was independently related to the presence of osteoarthritis was the variable "island" (i.e., population group), suggesting that - possibly - genetic factors played a major role in the differences observed.

A skeletal case of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy from the Canary Islands dating from 1000 BP.

A left tibia, the distal right tibia, and the proximal four fifths of the right ulna and radius, probably belonging to an adult prehispanic man (antiquity of ≈1000 years BP) were found among commingled bone remains in a collective burial cave of the island of El Hierro, in the Canary Archipelago. All four bones show an intense periosteal bone formation, encrusting the preserved cortical bone of the diaphyses. Differential diagnosis include melorheostosis, syphilis, and leprosy, although the most likely diagnosis is hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, which is usually associated with lung neoplasm or non-malignant diseases leading to chronic hypoxemia. The marked bone proliferation, possibly due to a chronic condition, suggests that possibly the underlying illness was a non-malignant one.

Cartilage-derived tumor in a prehispanic individual from La Gomera (Canary Islands).

We present the case of a left tibia with an outgrowth at its distal metaphyseal/epiphyseal end, composed of cancellous bone, surrounding a destructive process that, on radiological examination, reaches the tibiotalar joint surface. The cancellous bone of the outgrowth is well preserved and is in continuity with intramedullary cancellous bone. The tibia belonged to a prehispanic adult individual, probably male, from La Gomera, in the Canary Archipelago. The antiquity of the sample is unknown, but radiocarbon dating of other samples ranges from 1600 to1800 years BP. The lesion is suggestive of a cartilage-derived tumor, most likely a chondrosarcoma. Other etiologic possibilities are also discussed, including osteochondroma, enchondroma, chondromyxoid fibroma or chondroblastoma.

A case of calcaneal osteomyelitis from the prehispanic population of El Hierro (Canary Islands).

A right calcaneus with a deep resorptive lesion surrounded by an osteosclerotic reaction in its lateral aspect was found among intermingled bone remains in a collective burial cave of the island of El Hierro, in the Canary Archipelago. It belonged to an adult prehispanic man, with an estimated antiquity of ≈1000 years BP. The bone shows a penetrating lesion in the lateral aspect slightly superior-anterior to the calcaneal tuberosity, surrounded by a bone rim, and communicating with a large cavity opening cranially where Achilles tendon is inserted. The lesion is suggestive of calcaneal osteomyelitis. The initiating cause was probably a puncture wound, perhaps with a retained foreign body that caused the large abscess. Other infectious and non-infectious etiologic possibilities are discussed.