The terrifying time our early ancestors almost became extinct
New research has shown that our early ancestors almost went extinct some 900,000 years ago. Using a new method called FitCoal (fast infinitesimal time coalescent process), researchers analysed the likelihood of present-day genome sequences to project current human genomic variation backwards in time. They applied the technique to the genomes of 3,154 people from 10 African and 40 non-African populations, and found a massive crash in genetic diversity during the transition between the early and middle Pleistocene. “Results showed that human ancestors went through a severe population bottleneck with about 1,280 breeding individuals between around 930,000 and 813,000 years ago,” the study authors wrote in the journal Science. “The bottleneck lasted for about 117,000 years and brought human ancestors close to extinction,” they say. Wiping out roughly 98.7 percent of the ancestral human population, “the bottleneck could also have increased the inbreeding level of our ancestors, thus contributing to the 65.85 percent loss in present-day human genetic diversity,” explained the researchers. This probably happened because of changes in the global climate as short-term glaciations became longer-lasting, triggering a drop in ocean temperatures, prolonged drought, and the loss of large numbers of species that humans might have relied on for food. Then, around 813,000 years ago, populations finally recovered, with a 20-fold increase in numbers because of fire combined with the return of warmer temperatures, researchers reckon. What a near miss, eh? Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-09-03 19:22
Jump Into the Unexpected: Super Mario Bros. Wonder Launches Today for Nintendo Switch
REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 20, 2023--
2023-10-20 21:29
Krafton gets approval to resume battle-royale game in India
South Korea's Krafton Inc, a company backed by China's Tencent, on Friday said it received approval from Indian
2023-05-19 13:58
Save big on Dell laptops and more tech on sale — then save an extra 10% with this coupon code
If you're looking for a new laptop or PC, take a peek at Dell's deals
2023-05-26 01:29
Amazon Hardware Chief Dave Limp to Retire, WSJ Says
Amazon.com Inc.’s devices chief Dave Limp plans to retire from the company in the coming months, the Wall
2023-08-15 04:46
Amazon Alexa can tell you about Prime Day deals before they go live
Hunting down the best sales on Prime Day is quite literally a full-time job —
2023-06-28 23:27
Biden Assures DeSantis of Federal Support as Idalia Nears Coast
President Joe Biden spoke on Monday to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a 2024 challenger, to tell him he
2023-08-28 23:51
Bitcoin Surge Sparked by Optimism Over ETFs Pauses Around the $30,000 Level
A Bitcoin rally paused around $30,000 as investors assessed a flurry of applications in the US to start
2023-06-22 10:15
Indian rover begins exploring Moon's south pole
India began exploring the Moon's surface with a rover on Thursday, a day after it became the first nation to land a craft near the...
2023-08-24 15:26
The Legend of Zelda 2023 Black Friday Deals
The best Legend of Zelda video game discounts are here!
2023-11-15 08:15
MOVEit hack claims Calpers and Genworth as millions more victims impacted
(Reuters) -The number of victims of the MOVEit hack grew by several million on Thursday after the biggest U.S. pension
2023-06-23 06:49
xQc: Was Twitch streamer legally married to Adept? Ex couple's relationship timeline explored
The couple has had an unstable relationship, and their publicized disagreements on-screen garnered significant attention in the streaming community
2023-05-12 19:55
You Might Like...
Wave Neuro Receives 2023 Restore Technology Award
How to watch extra content on Crunchyroll for free
What to watch this weekend: ‘Succession’ finale, John Wick, Matchbox Twenty, 'American Born Chinese'
Britain Is Back-Pedaling on Boris’ Climate Legacy
Britain's $1.3 billion semiconductor support plan gets cool response
How to watch Indian Netflix for free
Iranian officials mulling over use of AI to issue fatwas
ROCCAT Unveils the Vulcan II Mechanical Gaming Keyboard