Latest news with #AndreaCasasVargas
NDTV
3 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
6,000-Year-Old Skeletons Have Distinctive DNA With No Link To Modern Humans
In a major archaeological breakthrough, scientists revealed that ancient human remains, unearthed in the Bogota Altiplano in central Colombia, do not match any indigenous human population in the region. The skeletons are 6,000 to 500 years old, and the study revealed that some of the individuals belonged to a previously unknown population. A team of researchers studied the genetic data of 21 individuals and published findings in the journal Science Advances in May. Earlier studies have revealed that two lineages existed - northern Native American and southern Native American. It developed when people started to move south after first arriving on the continent from Siberia. The southern Native American is further divided into at least three sub-lineages. However, scientists have yet to find the exact time and other details when the first people would have moved from Central America to South America. "We show that the hunter-gatherer population from the Altiplano dated to around 6000 yr B.P. lack the genetic ancestry related to the Clovis-associated Anzick-1 genome and to ancient California Channel Island individuals," the study noted. "The analysed Preceramic individuals from Colombia do not share distinct affinity with any ancient or modern-day population from Central and South America studied to date," the study added. "Colombia_Checua_6000BP can thus be modeled as a previously undescribed distinct lineage deriving from the radiation event that gave rise to multiple populations across South America during its initial settlement," it mentioned. The study author, Andrea Casas Vargas, a researcher at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, told CNN on Wednesday (June 11) that the research team was "very surprised" with the findings. "We did not expect to find a lineage that had not been reported in other populations," Vargas added. Kim-Louise Krettek, lead author and a PhD student at the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution in Germany, said, as quoted by Express UK, that this area is key to understanding "how the Americas were populated". "It was the land bridge between North and South America and the meeting point of three major cultural regions: Mesoamerica, Amazonia, and the Andes." Krettek added. The study is very important, Vargas said, adding that it is the first to sequence complete genomes in ancient samples from Colombia. Vargas said that the results raise questions "as to where they came from and why they disappeared. "We are not certain what happened at that time that caused their disappearance, whether it was due to environmental changes, or if they were replaced by other population groups," she said, further adding that more research will provide some answers, hopefully.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
6,000-year-old skeletons found in Colombia have unique DNA
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Scientists studying ancient human remains uncovered in Colombia have found that the people they were researching have no known ancestors or modern descendants. In a study published May 30 in the journal Science Advances, a team of researchers reported on the genetic data of 21 individuals whose skeletal remains were found in the Bogotá Altiplano in central Colombia, some of whom lived as long as 6,000 years ago, that belonged to a previously unknown population. Previous studies have proven the existence of two lineages, northern Native American and southern Native American, which developed after people first arrived on the continent across an ice bridge from Siberia and started to move south. The latter split into at least three sub-lineages whose movements have been traced in South America, but scientists have not yet ascertained when the first people would have moved from Central America to South America. The study helps to map the movements of the first settlers, who would have been nomadic hunter-gatherers, study author Andrea Casas Vargas, a researcher at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, told CNN on Wednesday, but it also found that they have unique DNA. Casas Vargas said the team were 'very surprised' to find that the remains did not share DNA with other people in the genetic record. 'We did not expect to find a lineage that had not been reported in other populations,' she said. Casas Vargas underlined that Colombia's position as the entry point to South America makes it significant to our understanding of the population of the Americas. 'This study is very important because it is the first to sequence complete genomes in ancient samples from Colombia,' she said, The results raise questions 'as to where they came from and why they disappeared,' said Casas Vargas. 'We are not certain what happened at that time that caused their disappearance, whether it was due to environmental changes, or if they were replaced by other population groups,' she added. Further research will hopefully provide some answers, said Casas Vargas. 'Our next investigations will look for other archaeological remains from other regions of the country and analyze them at the genetic level and complement this first discovery,' she said. Christina Warinner, a professor of scientific archaeology at Harvard University, told CNN that Colombia 'is a key region for understanding the peopling of South America… but until now it has been a blank spot in ancient DNA studies of the Americas.' 'This study highlights the deep history of population migration and mixing in the formation today's populations, and points to Central America as a key region that influenced the development of complex societies in both North and South America,' she added.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Science
- CTV News
6,000-year-old skeletons found in Colombia have unique DNA
Researchers studied the DNA of human remains found in the Eastern Colombian Andes. (Guillermo Legaria/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) Scientists studying ancient human remains uncovered in Colombia have found that the people they were researching have no known ancestors or modern descendants. In a study published May 30 in the journal Science Advances, a team of researchers reported on the genetic data of 21 individuals whose skeletal remains were found in the Bogotá Altiplano in central Colombia, some of whom lived as long as 6,000 years ago, that belonged to a previously unknown population. Previous studies have proven the existence of two lineages, northern Native American and southern Native American, which developed after people first arrived on the continent across an ice bridge from Siberia and started to move south. The latter split into at least three sub-lineages whose movements have been traced in South America, but scientists have not yet ascertained when the first people would have moved from Central America to South America. The study helps to map the movements of the first settlers, who would have been nomadic hunter-gatherers, study author Andrea Casas Vargas, a researcher at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, told CNN on Wednesday, but it also found that they have unique DNA. Casas Vargas said the team were 'very surprised' to find that the remains did not share DNA with other people in the genetic record. 'We did not expect to find a lineage that had not been reported in other populations,' she said. Casas Vargas underlined that Colombia's position as the entry point to South America makes it significant to our understanding of the population of the Americas. 'This study is very important because it is the first to sequence complete genomes in ancient samples from Colombia,' she said, The results raise questions 'as to where they came from and why they disappeared,' said Casas Vargas. 'We are not certain what happened at that time that caused their disappearance, whether it was due to environmental changes, or if they were replaced by other population groups,' she added. Further research will hopefully provide some answers, said Casas Vargas. 'Our next investigations will look for other archaeological remains from other regions of the country and analyze them at the genetic level and complement this first discovery,' she said. Christina Warinner, a professor of scientific archaeology at Harvard University, told CNN that Colombia 'is a key region for understanding the peopling of South America… but until now it has been a blank spot in ancient DNA studies of the Americas.' 'This study highlights the deep history of population migration and mixing in the formation today's populations, and points to Central America as a key region that influenced the development of complex societies in both North and South America,' she added. By Jack Guy, CNN
CNN
3 days ago
- Science
- CNN
6,000-year-old skeletons found in Colombia have unique DNA
Scientists studying ancient human remains uncovered in Colombia have found that the people they were researching have no known ancestors or modern descendants. In a study published May 30 in the journal Science Advances, a team of researchers reported on the genetic data of 21 individuals whose skeletal remains were found in the Bogotá Altiplano in central Colombia, some of whom lived as long as 6,000 years ago, that belonged to a previously unknown population. Previous studies have proven the existence of two lineages, northern Native American and southern Native American, which developed after people first arrived on the continent across an ice bridge from Siberia and started to move south. The latter split into at least three sub-lineages whose movements have been traced in South America, but scientists have not yet ascertained when the first people would have moved from Central America to South America. The study helps to map the movements of the first settlers, who would have been nomadic hunter-gatherers, study author Andrea Casas Vargas, a researcher at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, told CNN on Wednesday, but it also found that they have unique DNA. Casas Vargas said the team were 'very surprised' to find that the remains did not share DNA with other people in the genetic record. 'We did not expect to find a lineage that had not been reported in other populations,' she said. Casas Vargas underlined that Colombia's position as the entry point to South America makes it significant to our understanding of the population of the Americas. 'This study is very important because it is the first to sequence complete genomes in ancient samples from Colombia,' she said, The results raise questions 'as to where they came from and why they disappeared,' said Casas Vargas. 'We are not certain what happened at that time that caused their disappearance, whether it was due to environmental changes, or if they were replaced by other population groups,' she added. Further research will hopefully provide some answers, said Casas Vargas. 'Our next investigations will look for other archaeological remains from other regions of the country and analyze them at the genetic level and complement this first discovery,' she said. Christina Warinner, a professor of scientific archaeology at Harvard University, told CNN that Colombia 'is a key region for understanding the peopling of South America… but until now it has been a blank spot in ancient DNA studies of the Americas.' 'This study highlights the deep history of population migration and mixing in the formation today's populations, and points to Central America as a key region that influenced the development of complex societies in both North and South America,' she added.
