“Up to this point, we didn’t believe there was any other lineage that would appear in South America,” said archaeologist Andre Luiz Campelo dos Santos of Florida Atlantic University, who was not involved in the research. “This is unexpected.”
The ancient hunter-gatherers inhabited the region for about 2,000 years before disappearing from the genetic record. By around 2,000 years ago, they were replaced by a different human population.
What Happened to the Ancient Hunter-Gatherers?
Researchers remain unsure whether this ancient group was absorbed into another population, moved on, or was wiped out by environmental or social changes. More DNA evidence from the region may help solve the mystery.
“Analyzing more genes in South America will help confirm if this new group truly did disappear or if there could be evidence of their descendants elsewhere,” Campelo dos Santos noted.
Colombia’s Highlands Home to Ancient Hunter-Gatherers
The location of this discovery is vital to understanding how humans migrated southward. The highlands of Colombia are considered a key corridor that ancient humans would have crossed after entering the Americas via the Bering Land Bridge.
