Since the original human expansions out of Africa 200,000 years ago, different prehistoric and historic migration events have taken place in Europe.[9] Considering that the movement of the people implies a consequent movement of their genes, it is possible to estimate the impact of these migrations through the genetic analysis of human populations.[9] Agricultural and husbandry practices originated 10,000 years ago in a region of the Near East known as the Fertile Crescent.[9] According to the archaeological record this phenomenon, known as “Neolithic”, rapidly expanded from these territories into Europe.[9] However, whether this diffusion was accompanied or not by human migrations is greatly debated.[9] Mitochondrial DNA –a type of maternally inherited DNA located in the cell cytoplasm- was recovered from the remains of Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) farmers in the Near East and then compared to available data from other Neolithic populations in Europe and also to modern populations from South Eastern Europe and the Near East.[9] The obtained results show that substantial human migrations were involved in the Neolithic spread and suggest that the first Neolithic farmers entered Europe following a maritime route through Cyprus and the Aegean Islands.[9]