# Genome recovered from ~7,000-year-old goat leather in Spain matches modern Bermeya goats

- Published: 2026-11-09 00:58 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Biology & biochemistry
- Tags: ancient DNA, goat leather, Early Neolithic, Cueva de los Murciélagos, Bermeya goat, Iberian Peninsula, radiocarbon dating, domestic goat genome
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-3467e2d5c8bbabd8747d1c5c_genome_recovered_from/

**Authors sequenced genome-wide data from tanned Early Neolithic goat skin from Cueva de los Murciélagos and linked it to goat herds of northern Spain today.**

![Genome recovered from ~7,000-year-old goat leather in Spain matches modern Bermeya goats](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/93e0407718103b51.jpg)
*The British Museum, Ian Richardson, 2013-03-15 10:11:20, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

A team led by Jolijn A. M. Erven of University College Dublin reported genome-wide data from a goat leather specimen found in Cueva de los Murciélagos (Albuñol, Spain), a burial cave in the south of the country. The study was published on 4 November 2026 in PLoS ONE. The specimen, named Murciélagos1, comes from an Early Neolithic context, and radiocarbon dating places its age at about 7,250–7,000 years [1].

## Material and preservation

Archaeozoological analysis showed clear evidence of tanning and anthropogenic modification of the skin [1]. According to the published account, marks on the surface indicate that the hide was tanned and perforated, which suggests it was once part of a garment or covering before burial with human remains.

Recovering DNA from such material is difficult in warm regions, where heat and environmental conditions speed up the breakdown of genetic material. Despite strong fragmentation, the researchers extracted both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. The authors note that Murciélagos1 is one of the oldest nuclear genome datasets from organic remains outside high-altitude and high-latitude regions [1].

## Genetic results

The data show that the leather derives from a domestic goat of European ancestry [1]. According to the SciTechDaily account of the study, it is not a wild Iberian ibex. In comparison with modern goats, the specimen shows the highest affinity to the Bermeya breed from northern Spain. The authors conclude that this demonstrates genetic connectivity in goat herds from the Neolithic to present-day Iberia [1].

The researchers found no evidence of African genetic ancestry in the ancient specimen, whereas such ancestry is present in modern European goats. One possible explanation is that exchange with African goat populations took place after the Neolithic. However, the incomplete DNA and the limited sample size prevent firm conclusions about when these connections arose.

The leather also yielded fragmented DNA from human and canid sources. The authors attribute the human DNA most likely to handling or wearing of the leather, and the canid DNA to post-depositional disturbance [1]. They say the case demonstrates the value of ancient DNA analysis for exceptional cases of organic preservation.

## Sources

1. [PLoS ONE](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358468)
2. [SciTechDaily](https://scitechdaily.com/researchers-recover-dna-from-7000-year-old-leather-revealing-a-link-to-goats-alive-today)

---

Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-3467e2d5c8bbabd8747d1c5c_genome_recovered_from/