The Mesolithic-Neolithic Transition in Europe: A Perspective from Ancient Human DNA

Recent advances in DNA genotyping techniques have made it possible to recover a substantial body of ancient DNAdata from Mesolithicand Neolithic skeletons, improving our understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in the transition to farming. Overall, both mitochondrial and nuclear ancient DNAevidence suggest that hunter-gathererand Early Neolithic European groups had a different genetic makeup. This has been interpreted as a signature of genetic replacement by genetically distinct Neolithic groups of Near Eastern origin.