From Brighter Side of the News, Apr 19, 2025
Studying human evolution involves piecing together scattered clues about how we survived against tough odds. One of the biggest mysteries is understanding how large or small ancient human populations were. Typically, scientists rely on fossil records and ancient DNA to investigate these mysteries. But when it comes to periods as distant as the Pleistocene epoch—about a million years ago—such records become rare or nonexistent.
Now, a groundbreaking study published in the journal Science sheds new light on a dramatic event that nearly erased humans from existence. Researchers uncovered evidence that our ancestors survived a population crash that lasted over 100,000 years, leaving just around 1,280 individuals. This severe bottleneck occurred roughly between 930,000 and 813,000 years ago, profoundly influencing the genetic makeup of today's humans.
Piecing Together Our Genetic Past
Understanding human evolution often involves looking closely at our DNA. Yet obtaining ancient DNA from fossils older than 300,000 years—especially from Africa—is incredibly challenging. DNA deteriorates over time, making ancient genetic samples scarce or impossible to analyze. To solve this problem, scientists have turned to analyzing modern DNA, looking for patterns left behind by our ancestors' struggles and survival....
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