Ancient genomes link early Iberian farmers (5,500-3,500 years old) to modern Basques, not a Mesolithic relic population
Documented · occurred What these labels mean →Günther et al. (PNAS 2015) sequenced eight individuals from El Portalón cave, Atapuerca, dated 5,500-3,500 years before present; these early farmers show the greatest genetic affinity to modern Basques, suggesting Basques and their language may be linked to the Neolithic spread of agriculture rather than being a Mesolithic isolate. The source's 'not a refugee population' is its own paraphrase.
Evidence
| Relation | Record | Note |
|---|---|---|
| documents | eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov | Günther et al., PNAS 112(38):11917-22 (2015), abstract via PubMed: El Portalón individuals (5,500-3,500 BP) show 'greatest genetic affinity to modern-day Basques, who have long been considered ... linked to the Mesolithic'; Basques 'may be linked with the spread of agriculture during the Neolithic' |
| documents | pnas.org | PNAS (Gunther et al. 2015): ancient genomes link early Atapuerca farmers to Basques |
Sources
| Source | Relation | At |
|---|---|---|
| Basques and Atlantis (Why Files 2026) | reports |
Claim
Günther et al. (PNAS 2015) sequenced eight individuals from El Portalón cave, Atapuerca, dated 5,500-3,500 years before present; these early farmers show the greatest genetic affinity to modern Basques, suggesting Basques and their language may be linked to the Neolithic spread of agriculture rather than being a Mesolithic isolate. The source's 'not a refugee population' is its own paraphrase.