MADÉO, Portugal—Prehistoric human DNA has been detected on cave walls by an international team of scientists, according to a report. portugal news. Sara Garces, of the Institute of Earth and Memory and the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, said more than 50 samples were taken from 24 rock art panels in 11 caves on the Iberian Peninsula. DNA was found in five samples. Three of those samples came from Escoral Cave, a Paleolithic rock art site in south-central Portugal. Human genetic material was found in pigmented calcite crusts, suggesting that a person may have applied the pigments through direct touch or even by spitting. Garces said DNA left on cave walls could allow researchers to study the use of caves even when human remains and artifacts are not present. He concluded, “We want to continue to lead this technological transformation, demonstrating that it is possible to obtain revolutionary biological data by studying the artistic expressions of our ancestors.” Read the original scholarly article about this research nature communication. To read about the inspiration for the rock art of ancient South Americans, visit “Discovering Venezuelan Undiscovered Artists“
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