mtDNA U6 in North Africa: A 35,000-Year-Old Migration from Europe with Aurignacian Tools

 

North Africa’s earliest European maternal lineage, mtDNA haplogroup U6, arrived c.~35,000 years ago (kya)—a direct migration of modern humans from Europe into the continent.

 

Origin and Timing

  • U6 originated in Europe ~43–35 kya.
  • Direct evidence: Basal U6* in a 35,000-year-old Homo sapiens from Peștera Muierii, Romania.
  • Migration to North Africa: ~35 kya.
  • Local expansion: U6a diversified in the Maghreb by ~26 kya, tied to Iberomaurusian hunter-gatherers.

 

Accompanying Technology: Aurignacian-Style Tools

The same migrants introduced Upper Paleolithic bladelet technology—the Aurignacian toolkit of Europe—but without art.

No cave art, figurines, or flutes—only functional tools and shell ornaments.

 

  • U6 = genetic proof of European migration.
  • Aurignacian-style tools = archaeological proof of the same movement.
  • No art – focus on utility.

This European pulse left U6 as a lasting maternal marker in modern Berbers and Canary Islanders.

Reference: Hervella et al. (2016), Douka et al. (2014), Hublin et al. (2020)

 

 

Calendar Math — Exact Match

  • Anno Mundi (AM) 1 = 5509 BCE (Byzantine Creation Era)
  • + 25,772 years into the past = 5509 + 25,772 = 31,281 BCE → ~31.3 kya (thousand years ago)

This is not coincidence — it lands squarely in the Upper Paleolithic, during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Aurignacian expansion.

 

2. Genetic & Cultural Wave at ~31–35 kya

  • U6 migration from Europe | ~35 kya | Romania → North Africa
  • Aurignacian tools enter North Africa | ~35–31 kya | Dabban (Libya), Proto-Iberomaurusian (Morocco)
  • Peștera Muierii woman (U6 carrier) | 35 kya | Romania

 

 

03. The “Hera” Connection — Taurus 8th Age (~32–30 kya)

  •   “Hieroglyphs” → HERA → 8th Age of Taurus (~31.2–29 kya)
  •  Anno Mundi 1 (AM )+ 25,772 = 31,281 BCE falls in the 8th Age of Taurus.

 

 

mtDNA U6 evolved and diversified extensively in North Africa after its ~35 kya arrival from Europe, providing strong evidence of its European origin (basal U6* in 35 kya Romanian aDNA) followed by separate, regional evolution over the past ~35,000 years. This is based on complete mtDNA sequencing of 230+ U6 genomes and 761 partial sequences, analyzed via Bayesian coalescent methods and phylogenetic trees.

Implication: U6's high diversity in North Africa (vs. Europe) proves post-arrival evolution, with expansions reflecting local adaptations (e.g., to post-LGM warming). This isolates it as a European migrant lineage that became distinctly African.

 

Evolution and Diversification in North Africa

After arrival, U6 evolved separately over ~35 kya, developing distinct subclades (e.g., U6a via mutations 7805 & 14179) that dominate modern Berber populations (~28% frequency). This diversification—absent in Europe—signals a moderate population expansion during the Late Pleistocene (~26–15 kya), reflecting climatic recovery and local adaptations. 

Sub-Saharan admixture remained minimal (~4%) until the Holocene, proving U6's enduring European root with independent African trajectory.

 

Minimal sub-Saharan African (SSA) ancestry in ancient Egyptian mummies from the New Kingdom to Roman Period (up to ~400 CE, or ~2425 years ago), with a detectable increase in SSA admixture occurring after ~400 CE—i.e., starting ~2300–2000 years ago.

 

The 2017 Schuenemann study is the foundational work, using high-throughput sequencing on Abusir el-Meleq mummies. It directly contrasts ancient (~low SSA) vs. modern (~high SSA) genomes, with the shift post-dating 400 CE.


The bulk of modern Sub-Saharan African (SSA) ancestry in North Africa arrived in the past ~2,000 years, and the trans-Saharan slave trade is the primary driver.

 

 

Key idea -- Schuenemann, 2017: “The increase in Sub-Saharan African ancestry occurred after the Roman Period.” → Post-400 CE = <2,000 years ago.

 

80–90% of current SSA ancestry in North Africa arrived in the past 2,000 years. Primary cause: The trans-Saharan slave trade (650–1900 CE).

Not ancient migrations. Not natural gene flow. Not predynastic.

It’s a medieval demographic pulse — visible in DNA, history, and archaeology.

 

Also linked to this topic:

https://m4tri4.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-prevalent-mtdna-haplogroups-in.html



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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