There have been a number of recent studies into the peopling of Europe. The debates which are revolving around the R-M269 genes first suggested that north-west temperate Europe was peopled by conquering farmers out of the east who displaced the indigenous hunter-gatherers.
Now a team of researchers from Oxford and Edinburgh who have used a much larger data-set have determined that this earlier conclusion was flawed - and that in fact the modern population of Britain (and northern Europe) is comprised largely (over 75%) of people descended from the post-Holocene hunter-gatherers - we were not displaced, conquered or otherwise ousted by farmers at all - we simply adapted to new ideas and technologies which spread more or less quickly depending upon existing subsistence regimes, geographies and social networks.
All of this is very important for prehistorians and the study of the Neolithic. We have seen the same argument wax-and-wane previously in Neolithic studies. At one time the distinctive Beaker pottery supposedly marked the presence of invading farmers who brought bronze technology with them. Now we understand that indigenous populations were adapting new ceramic styles in local materials and developing their own distinctive patterns. Metallurgy seems to have developed along its own insular styles once people became aware of the relevant technology. The genetic data seems to suggest that Mesolithic aboriginals were capable of adaptive strategies too. Bacon, sausage and egg butty on wholemeal bread anyone?
G. B. J. Busby et al The peopling of Europe and the cautionary tale of Y chromosome lineage R-M269. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2011
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