 A recent genetic study published in the ""European Journal of Human Genetics"" in Nature (2019) showed that modern Europeans are closely related to Northern Africans and West Asians as well as to Southwest Asians.These mentioned groups can be clearly distinguished from most populations in East Asia or Western Africa and Africans south of the Sahara.Genetically, Europe is relatively homogeneous, but distinct sub-population patterns of various types of genetic markers have been found, particularly along a southeast-northwest cline.