Hunter-Gatherer DNA Linked to Longevity in Italy

BOLOGNA, ITALY—A study of the genomes of Italians who have reached the age of 100 has found that they carry a higher proportion of genetic material from the ancestral group known as Western Hunter-Gatherers than the rest of the population, according to a Phys.org report. Researchers led by Stefania Sarno and Vincenzo Iannuzzi of the University of Bologna analyzed the genes of 333 Italian centenarians and 690 healthy adults around the age of 50. These genomes were then compared to more than 100 ancient genomes from four ancestral groups: Western Hunter-Gatherers, Neolithic Anatolian farmers, Bronze Age nomads, and ancient groups from the Iranian and Caucasus regions. All of the individuals in the study carried a mix of genes from these four ancestral groups, but only genes from the Western Hunter-Gatherers were linked to longevity. The researchers suggest that these hardy hunter-gatherer genes may date back to the last lce Age, since survivors would have triumphed over harsh conditions with limited food. Read the original scholarly article about this research in GeroScience. To read about evidence of Ice Age dentistry in Italy, go to "Not So Pearly Whites."