50,000-Year-Old Antelope DNA Shatters Sub-Saharan Africa’s Oldest DNA Record

Researchers have extracted DNA from a 50,000-year-old mountain reedbuck tooth, marking the oldest DNA ever retrieved from sub-Saharan Africa. According to a study published May 27 in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, the finding indicates that genetic material can survive in the region’s hot climate for tens of thousands of years, significantly longer than previous records suggested.

The discovery challenges previous assumptions about DNA degradation in Africa. The region’s high temperatures typically break down the DNA molecule, which limits the ability of scientists to study the evolution of ancient human ancestors and other species. Prior to this study, the oldest animal DNA recovered from sub-Saharan Africa was from an extinct antelope in South Africa and dated to 9,300 years ago.

DNA Extraction from Late Pleistocene Specimens

The research team analyzed more than 300 teeth from animals that lived within the last 110,000 years. While many specimens yielded no genetic material, the team successfully extracted DNA from dozens of Holocene bovid specimens younger than 11,700 years old and four Late Pleistocene specimens dating between 12,000 and 50,000 years old.

The record-breaking sample came from a partial molar of a mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula), a species still extant in Africa today. This specimen was recovered from Boomplaas Cave in southern South Africa. Other significant finds included DNA from three extinct long-horned buffalos (Syncerus antiquus), with two dating to 21,000 years ago and one to 12,000 years ago.

Since the publication of the study, the researchers have also sequenced the genome of a 42,000-year-old wildebeest from Ethiopia. This additional finding supports the conclusion that DNA lasts longer in African climates than previously thought.

Scientific Limitations and Verification

Despite the record, the lead author of the study expressed caution regarding the 50,000-year-old sample. Deon de Jager, a paleogenomics expert at the University of Copenhagen, told Live Science that he remains skeptical of the result for two specific reasons.

First, de Jager noted that the reedbuck DNA is significantly older than the next-oldest sample retrieved from the long-horned buffalo. Second, the reedbuck specimen contained human DNA contamination, though researchers were able to remove it. These factors mean the 50,000-year-old result is not yet considered ironclad.

The degradation of ancient DNA is a known biological process. According to de Jager, DNA is thought to have a half-life of approximately 521 years, meaning half of the molecule disappears every 521 years until none remains.

Implications for Paleoanthropology and Evolution

The ability to retrieve DNA from the Late Pleistocene provides a new tool for identifying evolutionary lineages. De Jager stated that if enough data is gathered, researchers can compare gene flow and interbreeding among different species and populations from 40,000 to 50,000 years ago.

This discovery contrasts with the preservation levels found in other parts of the world. In Spain, the Sima de los Huesos site preserved DNA from a relative of modern humans that lived roughly 400,000 years ago. In sub-Saharan Africa, the oldest human DNA ever found dates back only 18,000 years, recovered from bones in a Tanzanian rock shelter.

While the new findings expand the window of preservation, they do not guarantee the recovery of DNA from much older hominids. De Jager told Live Science that the chances of obtaining DNA from Homo naledi, which went extinct around 240,000 years ago, are very low.

Recovering DNA from species like Paranthropus robustus, which died out approximately 1 million years ago, is likely impossible due to the harsh African environment. De Jager noted that such a recovery would require an incredibly well-preserved skull with the petrous bone intact, which is the optimal bone for ancient DNA extraction.

Future research may focus on specific geographic areas that offer better preservation. De Jager identified deep caves with stable, low temperatures and high-elevation sites as the most promising candidates for finding even older preserved DNA.