L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano HERITAGE HISTORY IDENTITY TRADITIONS PEOPLE T he discovery of a 17,000-year-old skeleton in Grot- ta delle Mura, near Monopoli i n P u g l i a , o f f e r e d n e w insights into the genetic his- tory of early human popula- tions in southern Italy. The child, who died at just 16 months of age, is one of the most significant archaeologi- cal finds in recent years, par- t i c u l a r l y b e c a u s e t h e i r genome is the oldest ever sequenced in Italy. The study was carried out by Italian and German universities and published in Nature Com- munications: in it, we gain a fascinating look into the l i f e , h e a l t h , a n d g e n e t i c ancestry of a young inhabi- tant of the Paleolithic era, while also uncovering clues about broader patterns of migration and genetic mix- ing in prehistoric Europe. T h e c h i l d ' s s k e l e t a l remains were remarkably well-preserved, largely due to the favorable conditions in the Grotta delle Mura. Dis- covered in 1998, the remains were found within a karst cave of great archaeological significance due to evidence o f h u m a n a c t i v i t y d a t i n g back tens of thousands of y e a r s . T h e s k e l e t o n w a s found lying supine, partially covered by stones, with no evidence of grave goods or ceremonial burial practices typical of the later Neolithic period . Despite the simplici- ty of the burial itself, the b o d y ' s c o n d i t i o n a l l o w e d r e s e a r c h e r s t o e x t r a c t a p p r o x i m a t e l y 7 5 % o f i t s genome. The genetic heritage of S o u t h e r n I t a l y ' s e a r l y populations T h e G r o t t a d e l l e M u r a child's genome shows that he belonged to a population of Western Hunter-Gather- ers, a group that occupied much of Europe during the Upper Paleolithic.These pop- ulations, as suggested by the genetic markers in the child's DNA, were characterized by dark skin, dark curly hair, and blue eyes, a combination of traits quite distinct from what we typically associate with modern Europeans. But o n e o f t h e m o r e s t r i k i n g f i n d i n g s w a s , w i t h o u t a doubt, the genetic diversity present in the child's DNA, a clear reflection of the migra- tion and genetic mixing that occurred among different groups of hunter-gatherers during the Paleolithic peri- od. Despite living in south- ern Italy, the child's genetic p r o f i l e s h o w e d a f f i n i t i e s with populations that lived across Europe, particularly in regions around the Black Sea and the Balkans, which s u p p o r t s t h e t h e o r y t h a t s o u t h e r n I t a l y a c t e d a s a c r o s s r o a d s f o r v a r i o u s human migrations, a role it w o u l d c o n t i n u e t o p l a y throughout history . A l i f e m a r k e d b y health struggles The genomic analysis also revealed that the child suf- f e r e d f r o m a c o n g e n i t a l heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopa- thy, which likely caused his death. This disease leads to a thickening of the heart mus- cle and can lead to sudden cardiac arrest; it is likely the child inherited it from their parents, who were closely r e l a t e d , p r o b a b l y f i r s t cousins . Such close familial r e l a t i o n s h i p s w e r e n o t u n c o m m o n a m o n g s m a l l h u n t e r - g a t h e r e r g r o u p s , where populations were rel- atively isolated and inter- c o n n e c t i o n s w i t h i n t h e group was a necessity for survival. However, the high level of endogamy may have contributed to the preva- lence of certain genetic dis- o r d e r s , l i k e t h e o n e t h a t a f f e c t e d t h e G r o t t a d e l l e Mura child. In addition to the heart condition, evidence from the child's teeth suggests that they experienced physiologi- cal stress both in the womb and after birth. This stress may have been due to their heart condition, but it could also reflect the challenges of survival in a harsh environ- ment. Analysis of isotopes from the remains also indi- cates that their mother expe- rienced limited mobility dur- ing pregnancy, indicating that the community likely remained in one place for extended periods, perhaps due to environmental condi- tions or cultural practices . M i g r a t i o n a n d g e n e t i c c o n t i n u i t y i n P r e h i s t o r i c Italy One of the most signifi- cant aspects of this discovery is what it tells us about the migration and population dynamics of early humans in southern Italy. Genetic evi- dence from the child and other similar finds indicates that the populations in this part of the country at the time were not isolated, but part of a larger network of human groups that migrated across Europe. The child's genome reveals a mixture of genetic traits from different groups of hunter-gatherers, s h o w i n g t h a t e v e n i n t h e Upper Paleolithic, there was s i g n i f i c a n t g e n e f l o w between populations. It also points to a degree of genetic differentiation between pop- u l a t i o n s i n n o r t h e r n a n d southern Italy, which sug- gests that while there was s i g n i f i c a n t m o v e m e n t o f people across Europe, local populations also began to develop distinct genetic pro- files, likely due to the isola- tion of different groups in response to environmental and geographical barriers. Echoes of a diverse Italian past. T h i s l a t e s t d i s c o v e r y u n d e r s c o r e s t h e d y n a m i c and diverse nature of the populations that have inhab- ited Italy throughout its his- tory. The process began in p r e h i s t o r i c t i m e s , a s the Paleolithic inhabitants of Italy were part of a much larger web of human inter- a c t i o n s , i n d i c a t i n g e a r l y migrations and genetic mix- ing. Later, the Etruscans, f o l l o w e d b y t h e R o m a n s , contributed to the region's g e n e t i c d i v e r s i t y . D u r i n g t h e R o m a n E m p i r e , I t a l y became a melting pot of cul- t u r e s a n d p e o p l e s f r o m across Europe, North Africa, a n d t h e N e a r E a s t . T h i s genetic diversity persisted into the Middle Ages, when Italy's central location in the Mediterranean facilitat- ed trade, cultural exchange, and further migrations. Over time, the arrival of groups like the Lombards continued to shape the population. The traces of these ancient peo- p l e s a r e s t i l l p r e s e n t i n the modern Italian popula- tion, which remains one of the most genetically diverse in Europe. T h e G r o t t a d e l l e M u r a child provides a rare and invaluable glimpse into the lives of Italy's earliest inhab- itants, with genetic evidence n o t o n l y t e l l i n g u s a b o u t their physical characteristics and health but also offering i n s i g h t s i n t o t h e b r o a d e r p o p u l a t i o n d y n a m i c s o f Europe during the Upper P a l e o l i t h i c . T h i s y o u n g child's genome is a reminder that Italy's history of cultur- a l a n d g e n e t i c d i v e r s i t y stretches back millennia, a n d i s a r e f l e c t i o n o f t h e country's long and continu- ous story of migration, adap- tation, and survival. FRANCESCA BEZZONE The skeletal remains of the Grotta delle Mura child, in an image taken during the escavation by Professor Mauro Calattini, of the Dipartimento di Scienze Storiche e dei Beni Culturali at the Università di Siena (Photo courtesy of Professor Mauro Calattini) A 17,000-year-old child sheds light on Italy's genetic heritage

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