India, Feb. 12 -- The Fulani, one of Africa's largest pastoral populations, have a history going back to the 'Green Sahara' period (12,000-5,000 years before the present), a new study has found.

The research has also found that the Fulani have been shaped by historical migrations and have a complex genetic history with influences from both North and West African groups.

The findings are significant as the Fulani number 40 million people and are spread from the Atlantic coast of West Africa to Lake Chad in Central Africa, as per a statement by the University of Uppsala.

Till now, the ancestral history of the Fulani has been a mystery given that most live a nomadic lifestyle and use temporary camps or mobile tents, which do not leave tra...