Green Sahara Shaped Fulani Genetics

New analyses suggest the Fulani carry substantial Ancient North African ancestry—traces of populations that moved during the Holocene “Green Sahara” period. This phase of higher rainfall likely opened corridors that reshaped Sahelian genomes and later cultural diffusion. — It links climate shifts to lasting population structure and cultural history, updating public narratives about African diversity and migration.

Sources

Did Harsh Winters Shape Psychology? Answers from Ancient and Modern DNA

Davide Piffer 2025.09.26 63% relevant

Both posit climate regimes as drivers of population genetic differences; the Fulani work ties Holocene climate to ancestry, while this article extends climate selection to personality polygenic signals (lower Extraversion/Neuroticism, higher Agreeableness) across latitude.

Cesar Fortes-Lima: the Fulani out of the Green Sahara

Razib Khan 2025.07.26 100% relevant

Cesar Fortes-Lima’s paper and interview reporting Ancient North African ancestry in sampled Fulani subpopulations.