Origins and interactions of Neolithic populations from Liguria (NW Italy): a craniofacial morphometric study

The Neolithic transition in Europe, marked by the shift from foraging to farming, has traditionally been explained through models of either cultural or demic diffusion. However, emerging evidence suggests more complex, regionally specific interactions between incoming farmers and local foragers. In Liguria, a coastal region in northwestern Italy, the Neolithic adoption appears later than in southern regions, and the scarcity of Mesolithic sites raises questions about potential interactions, though this may be due to preservation bias. To investigate the biological origins and history of Neolithic populations in Liguria, this study applies craniofacial morphometric analysis to 27 adult individuals from Early, Middle and Late Neolithic contexts. Two datasets including comparative samples ranging from the Upper Paleolithic to recent periods were employed, one with 30 measurements (n = 629) and one with 10 (n = 2178). Morphometric relationships were analyzed using multiple multivariate techniques, including Principal Coordinate Analysis, Neighbor-Joining clustering, Principal Component Analysis, and Discriminant Function Analysis. The results indicate that while Ligurian Neolithic individuals are part of the broader European Neolithic variability, Early Neolithic individuals show a certain morphological affinity with Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, suggesting possible genetic admixture. In contrast, Middle Neolithic individuals appear more homogeneous and less influenced by forager ancestry, suggesting population continuity without further admixture. These findings differ from the broader European trend of increasing hunter-gatherer ancestry over time. Although paleogenomic data from Liguria are currently lacking, this morphometric study provides critical insight into regional population dynamics during the Neolithic and highlights the need for integrated genetic and archaeological approaches in future research.