Latest news with #Homosapiens
Economic Times
a day ago
- Science
- Economic Times
Five ancient human species that lived alongside modern humans revealed: New insights into our prehistoric cousins
The five ancient human cousins Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) Denisovans (Homo sp. Denisova) Homo naledi Homo floresiensis Live Events Homo erectus A shared evolutionary tapestry (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In a remarkable revelation that reshapes our understanding of human evolution , scientific research confirms that Homo sapiens—modern humans—were not alone for much of their early history. Between approximately 300,000 and 40,000 years ago, several closely related ancient human species lived alongside us, interacted with us, and in some cases interbred with our ancestors. Far from being the solitary pinnacle of evolution, Homo sapiens shared the planet with a diverse cast of human relatives whose legacy lingers in our DNA and in our the best-known and closest extinct relatives of modern humans, Neanderthals first appeared about 400,000 years ago. Unlike the outdated stereotype of brutish cavemen, they were highly intelligent, sporting brains on average larger than modern humans. Adapted to cold Eurasian climates, they had stocky bodies, large noses to warm inhaled air, and used sophisticated tools, clothing, and studies reveal that 1–2% of DNA in Europeans and Asians today originated from Neanderthals, influencing aspects such as immune system function. Their extinction roughly 40,000 years ago did not end their contribution to our genetic only in 2008 from a tiny finger bone in Siberia's Denisova Cave, Denisovans remain one of the most mysterious human cousins. DNA sequencing shows they diverged from Neanderthals about 550,000 to 765,000 years ago and lived from roughly 300,000 to 25,000–30,000 years ago in parts of Asia. Genetic evidence indicates adaptations such as dark skin, eyes, and hair, with physical traits somewhat reminiscent of one genome from a bone fragment revealed a first-generation hybrid with a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father. Fossil and genetic evidence suggest they inhabited a wide ecological range—from Siberia's cold caves to Southeast Asia's tropical forests—illustrating a previously hidden human in South Africa in 2013, Homo naledi is an enigmatic species. With a small brain size of around 465–560 cm³, comparable to earlier ancestors like Australopithecus, yet living contemporaneously with Homo sapiens roughly 335,000 to 236,000 years ago, Homo naledi defies simple evolutionary assumptions. Standing about 1.44 meters tall, they had long fingers and an anatomy suggesting strong climbing ability. Their diet likely consisted of nuts, tubers, and other plant matter, pointing to a different ecological niche from early modern they left no known genetic trace in modern populations, their coexistence with Homo sapiens underscores the complex diversity of human morphology and behavior during the late "Hobbits" due to their small stature, Homo floresiensis was discovered in 2003 on Indonesia's Flores island. These tiny humans stood only about 1.1 meters tall and had brains around 400 cm³ in size. Despite these archaic features, their use of stone tools and ability to hunt dwarf elephants point to a sophisticated species. They are believed to have descended from Homo erectus populations that underwent island floresiensis likely survived until around 60,000 to 38,000 years ago, potentially overlapping with Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia. Some anthropologists speculate their presence might have inspired local myths such as the Ebu Gogo—small forest-dwelling people from Flores of the longest-surviving human species, Homo erectus appeared about 1.9 million years ago and was the first human species known to leave Africa and colonize large areas of Europe and Asia. They showed significant evolutionary advances, including fully upright posture, use of fire, and persistence hunting—chasing prey until it collapsed from brain size and body shape were more human-like than earlier hominins, and they are considered direct ancestors of later human species, including Homo heidelbergensis, which is thought to be a common ancestor of Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Homo sapiens. Fossil evidence suggests H. erectus survived in parts of Asia until about 140,000 years findings highlight that humans did not evolve in isolation but rather as part of a broad family of ancient human groups exhibiting rich biological and ecological diversity. Our direct ancestors interbred with some of these species, notably Neanderthals and Denisovans, weaving their genes into ours and inheriting traits that helped us adapt to new environments.
Time of India
a day ago
- Science
- Time of India
Five ancient human species that lived alongside modern humans revealed: New insights into our prehistoric cousins
In a remarkable revelation that reshapes our understanding of human evolution , scientific research confirms that Homo sapiens—modern humans—were not alone for much of their early history. Between approximately 300,000 and 40,000 years ago, several closely related ancient human species lived alongside us, interacted with us, and in some cases interbred with our ancestors. Far from being the solitary pinnacle of evolution, Homo sapiens shared the planet with a diverse cast of human relatives whose legacy lingers in our DNA and in our story. The five ancient human cousins Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) Perhaps the best-known and closest extinct relatives of modern humans, Neanderthals first appeared about 400,000 years ago. Unlike the outdated stereotype of brutish cavemen, they were highly intelligent, sporting brains on average larger than modern humans. Adapted to cold Eurasian climates, they had stocky bodies, large noses to warm inhaled air, and used sophisticated tools, clothing, and fire. Genetic studies reveal that 1–2% of DNA in Europeans and Asians today originated from Neanderthals, influencing aspects such as immune system function. Their extinction roughly 40,000 years ago did not end their contribution to our genetic makeup. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Denisovans (Homo sp. Denisova) Discovered only in 2008 from a tiny finger bone in Siberia's Denisova Cave, Denisovans remain one of the most mysterious human cousins. DNA sequencing shows they diverged from Neanderthals about 550,000 to 765,000 years ago and lived from roughly 300,000 to 25,000–30,000 years ago in parts of Asia. Genetic evidence indicates adaptations such as dark skin, eyes, and hair, with physical traits somewhat reminiscent of Neanderthals. Remarkably, one genome from a bone fragment revealed a first-generation hybrid with a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father. Fossil and genetic evidence suggest they inhabited a wide ecological range—from Siberia's cold caves to Southeast Asia's tropical forests—illustrating a previously hidden human diversity. Homo naledi Found in South Africa in 2013, Homo naledi is an enigmatic species. With a small brain size of around 465–560 cm³, comparable to earlier ancestors like Australopithecus, yet living contemporaneously with Homo sapiens roughly 335,000 to 236,000 years ago, Homo naledi defies simple evolutionary assumptions. Standing about 1.44 meters tall, they had long fingers and an anatomy suggesting strong climbing ability. Their diet likely consisted of nuts, tubers, and other plant matter, pointing to a different ecological niche from early modern humans. Though they left no known genetic trace in modern populations, their coexistence with Homo sapiens underscores the complex diversity of human morphology and behavior during the late Pleistocene. Homo floresiensis Nicknamed "Hobbits" due to their small stature, Homo floresiensis was discovered in 2003 on Indonesia's Flores island. These tiny humans stood only about 1.1 meters tall and had brains around 400 cm³ in size. Despite these archaic features, their use of stone tools and ability to hunt dwarf elephants point to a sophisticated species. They are believed to have descended from Homo erectus populations that underwent island dwarfism. Homo floresiensis likely survived until around 60,000 to 38,000 years ago, potentially overlapping with Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia. Some anthropologists speculate their presence might have inspired local myths such as the Ebu Gogo—small forest-dwelling people from Flores folklore. Live Events Homo erectus One of the longest-surviving human species, Homo erectus appeared about 1.9 million years ago and was the first human species known to leave Africa and colonize large areas of Europe and Asia. They showed significant evolutionary advances, including fully upright posture, use of fire, and persistence hunting—chasing prey until it collapsed from exhaustion. Their brain size and body shape were more human-like than earlier hominins, and they are considered direct ancestors of later human species, including Homo heidelbergensis, which is thought to be a common ancestor of Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Homo sapiens. Fossil evidence suggests H. erectus survived in parts of Asia until about 140,000 years ago. A shared evolutionary tapestry These findings highlight that humans did not evolve in isolation but rather as part of a broad family of ancient human groups exhibiting rich biological and ecological diversity. Our direct ancestors interbred with some of these species, notably Neanderthals and Denisovans, weaving their genes into ours and inheriting traits that helped us adapt to new environments.
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Neanderthals likely ate fermented meat with side of maggots
Scientists long thought that Neanderthals were avid meat eaters. Based on chemical analysis of Neanderthal remains, it seemed like they had been feasting on as much meat as apex predators such as lions and hyenas. But as a group, hominins - that's Neanderthals, our species and other extinct close relatives - aren't specialised flesh eaters. Rather, they are more omnivorous, eating plenty of plant foods, too. It is possible for humans to subsist on a very carnivorous diet. In fact, many traditional northern hunter-gatherers such as the Inuit subsisted mostly on animal foods. But hominins simply cannot tolerate consuming the high levels of protein that large predators can. If humans eat as much protein as hypercarnivores do over long periods without consuming enough other nutrients, it can lead to protein poisoning - a debilitating, even lethal condition historically known as "rabbit starvation". So, what could explain the chemical signatures found in Neanderthal bones that seem to suggest they were healthily eating tons of meat? I am an anthropologist who uses elements such as nitrogen to study the diets of our very ancient ancestors. New research suggests a secret ingredient in the Neanderthal diet that might explain what was going on - maggots. Isotope ratios reveal what an animal ate The ratios of various elements in the bones of animals can provide insights into what they ate while alive. Isotopes are alternate forms of the same element that have slightly different masses. Nitrogen has two stable isotopes: nitrogen-14, the more abundant form, and nitrogen-15, the heavier, less common form. Scientists denote the ratio of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14 as δ¹⁵N and measure it in a unit called permil. As you go higher up the food chain, organisms have relatively more of the isotope nitrogen-15. Grass, for example, has a very low δ¹⁵N value. A herbivore accumulates the nitrogen-15 that it consumes eating grass, so its own body has a slightly higher δ¹⁵N value. Meat-eating animals have the highest nitrogen ratio in a food web; the nitrogen-15 from their prey concentrates in their bodies. By analysing stable nitrogen isotope ratios, we can reconstruct the diets of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens during the late Pleistocene, which ran from 11,700 to 129,000 years ago. Fossils from various sites tell the same story - these hominins have high δ¹⁵N values. High δ¹⁵N values would typically place them at the top of the food web, together with hypercarnivores such as cave lions and hyenas, whose diet is more than 70% meat. But maybe something else about their diet was inflating Neanderthals' δ¹⁵N values. Uncovering the Neanderthal menu It is suspected that maggots could have been a different potential source of enriched nitrogen-15 in the Neanderthal diet. Maggots, which are fly larvae, can be a fat-rich source of food. They are unavoidable after you kill another animal, easily collectible in large numbers and nutritionally beneficial. To investigate this possibility, a dataset that was originally created for a very different purpose was used: a forensic anthropology project focused on how nitrogen might help estimate time since death. I had originally collected modern muscle tissue samples and associated maggots at the Forensic Anthropology Center at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to understand how nitrogen values change during decomposition after death. While the data can assist modern forensic death investigations, in our current study we repurposed it to test a very different hypothesis. We found that stable nitrogen isotope values increase modestly as muscle tissue decomposes, ranging from -0.6 permil to 7.7 permil. This increase is more dramatic in maggots feeding on decomposing tissue: from 5.4 permil to 43.2 permil. To put the maggot values in perspective, scientists estimate δ¹⁵N values for Pleistocene herbivores to range between 0.9 permil to 11.2 permil. Maggots are measuring up to almost four times higher. Our research suggests that the high δ¹⁵N values observed in Late Pleistocene hominins may be inflated by year-round consumption of ¹⁵N-enriched maggots found in dried, frozen or cached animal foods. Cultural practices shape diet In 2017, my collaborator John Speth proposed that the high δ¹⁵N values in Neanderthals were due to the consumption of putrid or rotting meat, based on historical and cultural evidence of diets in northern Arctic foragers. Traditionally, Indigenous peoples almost universally viewed thoroughly putrefied, maggot-infested animal foods as highly desirable fare, not starvation rations. In fact, many such peoples routinely and often intentionally allowed animal foods to decompose to the point where they were crawling with maggots, in some cases even beginning to liquefy. This rotting food would inevitably emit a stench so overpowering that early European explorers, fur trappers and missionaries were sickened by it. Yet Indigenous peoples viewed such foods as good to eat, even a delicacy. When asked how they could tolerate the nauseating stench, they simply responded, "We don't eat the smell." Neanderthals' cultural practices, similar to those of Indigenous peoples, might be the answer to the mystery of their high δ¹⁵N values. Ancient hominins were butchering, storing, preserving, cooking and cultivating a variety of items. All these practices enriched their paleo menu with foods in forms that nonhominin carnivores do not consume. Research shows that δ¹⁵N values are higher for cooked foods, putrid muscle tissue from terrestrial and aquatic species, and, with our study, for fly larvae feeding on decaying tissue. The high δ¹⁵N values of maggots associated with putrid animal foods help explain how Neanderthals could have included plenty of other nutritious foods beyond only meat while still registering δ¹⁵N values we're used to seeing in hypercarnivores. We suspect the high δ¹⁵N values seen in Neanderthals reflect routine consumption of fatty animal tissues and fermented stomach contents, much of it in a semi-putrid or putrid state, together with the inevitable bonus of both living and dead ¹⁵N-enriched maggots. What still isn't known Fly larvae are a fat-rich, nutrient-dense, ubiquitous and easily procured insect resource, and both Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens, much like recent foragers, would have benefited from taking full advantage of them. But we cannot say that maggots alone explain why Neanderthals have such high δ¹⁵N values in their remains. Several questions about this ancient diet remain unanswered. How many maggots would someone need to consume to account for an increase in δ¹⁵N values above the expected values due to meat eating alone? How do the nutritional benefits of consuming maggots change the longer a food item is stored? More experimental studies on changes in δ¹⁵N values of foods processed, stored and cooked following Indigenous traditional practices can help us better understand the dietary practices of our ancient relatives.
News18
3 days ago
- Health
- News18
Ancient Humans Cannibalised Children 850,000 Years Ago, Scientists Find Butchered Remains
Last Updated: Archaeologists found evidence of infant cannibalism from 850,000 years ago at Gran Dolina cave. A human neck bone with cut marks indicated intentional decapitation. Spanish archaeologists found evidence of 'infant cannibalism', around 850,000 years ago. Researchers discovered a human neck bone while digging at the Gran Dolina cave site in Atapuerca, northern Spain. The remains shows clear cut marks consistent with intentional decapitation. 'This case is particularly striking, not only because of the child's age, but also due to the precision of the cut marks," says Dr. Palmira Saladié, IPHES-CERCA researcher and co-director of the Gran Dolina excavation alongside Dr. Andreu Ollé. The IPHES researchers also mentioned that some bones also show defleshing marks and intentional fractures, typical indicators of meat exploitation similar to those found on animal bones consumed by these same humans. 'The vertebra presents clear incisions at key anatomical points for disarticulating the head. It is direct evidence that the child was processed like any other prey," Saladié added. The child was a Homo antecessor, a species that was the last link between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. Several of the other bones found over the years have cut marks. The archaeologists are certain that our ancestors were cannibals and ate children. view comments First Published: July 27, 2025, 10:18 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
3 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
Ancient Humans Ate Children 850,000 Years Ago, New Discovery Reveals
In a remarkable scientific discovery, Spanish archaeologists have found evidence that human ancestors ate children, some 850,000 years ago. Digging at the Gran Dolina cave site in Atapuerca, northern Spain, the researchers discovered a human neck bone belonging to a child aged between two and four years old, with clear butchery marks, suggesting that the small children may have been devoured clean. The team from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES) stated that the site of the marks on the neck bone suggests the youngster was decapitated. Notably, the body parts of the child belong to Homo antecessor, believed to be the last common ancestor of both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. "This case is particularly striking, not only because of the child's age, but also due to the precision of the cut marks," said Dr Palmira Saladie, the co-director of the excavation. "The vertebra presents clear incisions at key anatomical points for disarticulating the head. It is direct evidence that the child was processed like any other prey." Although cannibalism is well documented in early humans, it is unusual to find evidence of a child being eaten. If the discovery stands verified, it could mark the earliest evidence of the practice found to date. 'What we are documenting now is the continuity of that behaviour: the treatment of the dead was not exceptional, but repeated,' said Ms Saladie. Stockier and shorter on average than modern humans, the Homo antecessor lived between 1.2 million and 800,000 years ago. Their brain size was roughly between 1,000 and 1,150 cubic centimetres, which is smaller than the average 1,350 cubic centimetres brain size of people today. "The new find reinforces the hypothesis that these early humans exploited their congeners as a food resource," the researchers stated. 'Every year we uncover new evidence that forces us to rethink how our ancestors lived, how they died, and how the dead were treated nearly a million years ago.'
