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A new genetic study suggests that the roots of exceptional human longevity may stretch back to Europe’s ancient past. Researchers analysing the genomes of more than 1,000 people found that Italian centenarians are more likely than younger adults to carry DNA from Western Hunter-Gatherers (WHG) — a population that lived in Europe over 10,000 years ago. The study, led by geneticists at the University of Bologna and published in GeroScience, highlights how deep ancestral history can still shape health outcomes today.
The team compared the genomes of 333 Italian centenarians with those of 690 middle-aged Italians, alongside 103 ancient genomes representing the main ancestral sources of European DNA. Across multiple analyses, the strongest and most consistent genetic signal linked to living past 100 was a higher proportion of WHG ancestry. A one–standard-deviation increase in WHG ancestry was associated with a striking 38 percent higher chance of reaching a 100th birthday.
By contrast, DNA from later-arriving groups told a different story. Genetic ancestry linked to Bronze Age Yamnaya pastoralists showed a slight negative association with longevity in women. This supports the idea that different waves of migration into Europe brought genetic traits that were useful in their original environments but may not promote healthy ageing today.
The researchers suggest that WHG populations rose to prominence after the last Ice Age, during a time of rapid climate change. Some of the genetic variants they carried may still help protect against age-related decline. Later post-Neolithic populations, meanwhile, evolved more pro-inflammatory immune responses to cope with denser settlements and higher disease burdens — adaptations that may now contribute to chronic inflammation and age-related disease.
While the biological mechanisms remain unclear, this is the first study to directly link exceptional longevity to ancient European ancestry. The findings underline that ageing is not shaped by genes or lifestyle alone, but also by deep population history — reminding us that the legacy of our prehistoric ancestors may still influence how long we live today.
