Humans in southern Africa were an isolated population until recently
7 days ago
- #genetic diversity
- #human origins
- #ancient DNA
- Modern humans originated in Africa, supported by fossil and genetic evidence.
- Africa's current populations are the most genetically diverse, indicating long-term mutation accumulation.
- Reconstructing Africa's human history is challenging due to DNA degradation in typical conditions and the Bantu expansion's genetic impact.
- A new study extracted ancient genomes from southern Africa, revealing a distinct, large population isolated until about 1,000 years ago.
- Fossils show a mix of modern and archaic features, complicating the identification of fully modern human emergence.
- Genetic studies are hindered by Africa's climate and past large-scale migrations, leading to population mixing and 'ghost lineages'.