Study finds people carrying more DNA from Ice Age hunter-gatherer likely live longer

Italian researchers have identified a potential genetic link between exceptional longevity and inherited DNA from Ice Age hunter-gatherer populations in Europe, suggesting that very ancient ancestry may still influence how people age today.

The findings focus on so-called “super-agers” — people who live to 100 years or more — and how their genetic makeup differs from that of younger adults, as reported in an article published on the Earth online platform

The study was led by Prof. Cristina Giuliani, an associate professor at the University of Bologna, whose work combines population genetics and epigenetics, the study of chemical markers that influence how genes behave. Italy offers a particularly useful setting for this kind of research because of its position at the crossroads of ancient human migrations, leaving modern Italians with layered genetic contributions from multiple prehistoric populations.

As of January 1, 2025, Italy counted 23,548 residents aged 100 or older, nearly 83% of them women. Researchers recruited centenarians and compared their DNA with that of younger adults from the same regions to limit geographic and cultural variation. While this approach reduces some sources of bias, it cannot fully account for differences in early-life conditions, occupational histories, or environmental exposure.

Advances in paleogenomics — the study of ancient DNA recovered from archaeological remains — now allow scientists to directly compare prehistoric genomes with those of living populations. Using these methods, the team modeled each participant’s DNA as a mixture of four major ancestral components: early farmers, steppe herders, Iranian-Caucasus groups, and Western Hunter-Gatherers, the Ice Age populations that lived in Europe before the advent of agriculture.

Across multiple analyses, centenarians consistently showed a higher proportion of Western Hunter-Gatherer ancestry than the younger control group. The study examined DNA from 333 centenarians and 690 controls, comparing them with 103 ancient genomes. This ancestry pattern was associated with 38% higher odds of reaching extreme old age. “In the present study, we demonstrate the contribution of ancient genetic components to the longevity phenotype,” Giuliani wrote.

Centenarians also carried more Western Hunter-Gatherer genetic variants at several locations previously linked to longevity. These variants may influence biological processes such as metabolism, immune response, and cellular repair. During the Last Glacial Maximum, when food was scarce and winters harsh, traits that promoted efficient energy storage and rapid immune responses likely improved survival.

Researchers note that such traits could help counter “inflammaging,” the chronic low-grade inflammation that increases with age and contributes to heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. However, the article stresses that longevity is shaped by many interacting biological pathways, not a single gene or ancestry line. A recent review has identified only five major pathways consistently associated with human longevity, underscoring that ancient ancestry alone cannot predict lifespan.

By Nazrin Sadigova