When we look into the deep roots of the human genome, we open the gates to a past that is full of incredible secrets. A recent discovery in the field of genetics brings us a fascinating story about a mysterious population of “ghosts” who may have lived in West Africa thousands of years ago.
Study published in the journal Science Advances reveals that modern-day West Africans carry within them traces of an unknown species of human race. This species was called the “ghost population” and brought something into the genetic mix of West Africans that had remained hidden until now.
Crucifixion in ancient times
Most likely, the interbreeding between the “ghost population” and our species, Homo sapiens, took place about 43,000 years ago. Although the time estimate is not 100% accurate, it indicates that there were far more complex genetic interactions in our past than we previously thought.
If we look back at the history of the human species, we know that Homo sapiens first appeared more than 300,000 years ago in Africa. From there, it gradually spread around the world, meeting other human species along the way, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. These encounters undoubtedly had an impact on our evolution, as evidenced by the fact that modern humans outside of Africa still carry genetic traces of these species.
The third player in the game
We have relatively much information about Neanderthals and Denisovans thanks to the fossil record and genetic studies. Scientists have discovered that our ancestors interbred with these species, and the genetic material of archaic hominins remains with us today. But the “ghost population” is more mysterious.
Read also
Read also
We are not the pinnacle of evolution or the masters of creation. Humans evolved by chance, study claims
The researchers obtained genomic data from hundreds of West African peoples, including the Yoruba of Nigeria and the Benin and Mendo of Sierra Leone. Comparing the data with the genomes of Neanderthals and Denisovans, they discovered stretches of DNA in West Africans that cannot be explained by interbreeding with these two known species. The newly identified “introgression” of genetic material is both mysterious and fascinating.
Mysterious population
Scientists don’t know much about the “ghost population” yet. Their origins, whereabouts and ultimate fate remain shrouded in mystery. “We don’t know where this population might have lived, whether it matches the known fossils, and what its ultimate fate was,” says Sriram Sankararaman, a professor of human genetics and computer science at the University of California, Los Angeles, who led the study.
The mysterious population appears to have diverged from the evolutionary line that led to our species around 650,000 years ago. This gives us an idea of how long genetic interactions between different human hominin species have been going on.
A new look at our past
The discovery changes our perspective on evolutionary history. It shows us that West Africans carry traces of ancient interbreeding with an unknown species in their genes. This “introgression” of genetic material gives us a new mystery to solve and drives us to further research.
Read also
Read also
The scientist prepared a dish modeled after Neanderthals. It is simple and very tasty
Scientists will continue to examine the DNA of West Africans to unravel the mystery of the “ghost population” and its influence on our evolution. Clearly, human genetics is full of unexpected surprises and mysteries, and each discovery brings us closer to understanding our origins.
West Africa, with its rich cultural and genetic history, reminds us once again that the past is a complex mosaic of events that shaped what we now call the human race. The “ghost population” is just one of many mysteries waiting to be revealed in the genetic record of our ancestors.
Resources: reuters.com, science.org, sciencealert.com
2023-10-10 12:01:00
#Tribes #Africa #carry #traces #ghosts #DNA #Scientists #identified #unknown #species
