Professor Francesc Calafell: Ibiza’s unique genetic heritage

Professor Francesc Calafell’s research on genes shows how closely connected Ibiza’s native population is to the Catalan invaders of the thirteenth century. In this fascinating episode of the Ibizology podcast Francesc goes on to describe how the people of Spain are more closely related to settlers from the Russian steppes 4,000 years ago than to any subsequent invaders such as the Romans and Moors. These incomers did not intermarry on a large scale, leaving the original genetic pool intact. “What we get at is the history of the people, not the history of the kings and queens,” he says.