Scientists extract ancient human DNA from Iberian cave walls

For the first time, scientists have successfully extracted ancient human DNA directly from cave walls in Spain and Portugal, a breakthrough that transforms rock surfaces into a new source of genetic information about prehistoric populations. The research, part of the international First Art project, demonstrates that cave walls can preserve human genetic material for at least 2,000 years, offering a novel method to study the people who inhabited and decorated these subterranean spaces.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, analyzed 24 rock art panels from eleven caves across the Iberian Peninsula, including the renowned Cave of Altamira. Using advanced extraction and sequencing techniques, researchers recovered authentic ancient human mitochondrial and nuclear DNA from both pigmented surfaces and, unexpectedly, from unpainted cave walls. A key sample came from a pigmented calcite crust in Portugal’s Escoural Cave, where DNA was likely deposited through direct human contact, such as saliva or bodily fluids during painting. The discovery of human DNA in non-pigmented areas of Escoural and Covarón Caves suggests genetic traces can endure in the cave...