Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania carried out a discovery monumental event that is reshaping scientific understanding of first chapters of human history.
A recent investigation has unearthed evidence that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals shared a genetic link long before the first known encounters between the two species in Eurasia.
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Published in the journal Current Biology, the study indicates a complex prehistoric genetic interaction.
Surprisingly, analyzes of the genomes of Neanderthals and several modern sub-Saharan populations revealed that up to 6% of Neanderthal DNA originated from modern humans, an interaction that challenges the belief that the first interbreeding occurred after modern humans migrated from Africa.
Reevaluating prehistoric movements
Such early genetic interaction suggests that the movements of human ancestors may have been more complex than previously understood.
The presence of African genetic sequences in Neanderthal DNA indicates that existing theories about human migrations and interspecies interbreeding need to be reevaluated.
Natural selection at play
The research also offers insights into the role of natural selection in human evolution. Much of the modern human DNA found in Neanderthals was in non-coding regions of the genome.
This indicates that these segments may have been removed over time by natural selection as they potentially compromise physical fitness.
The discovery emphasizes the complexity of the human family tree, showing that the history of Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and Denisovans is interconnected by multiple episodes of interbreeding.
This intricate genetic kinship reinforces the idea that, despite the distinctions between different human species, humanity's evolution is a rich, interconnected tapestry.
A past more connected than imagined
Advances in archaeogenetics illuminate understanding of our collective past, highlighting how human species, long before As far as anyone knew, they were genetically interconnected, redefining long-held theories about origins and migration. of the humans modern.
