Some West Africans Carry DNA From an Unknown Ancient Human Group
Some West African populations carry 2% to 19% ancestry from an unknown ancient human group that split from our lineage before Neanderthals did.
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Genetic research has uncovered evidence that several present-day West African populations inherited part of their ancestry from an ancient human population that scientists have not yet identified. The study examined genetic patterns in four West African populations and found signals consistent with ancestry from a deeply diverged archaic group. The researchers estimate that this population separated from the ancestors of modern humans and Neanderthals somewhere between about 360,000 and 1.02 million years ago, although the exact history is uncertain. Their models suggest that the ancient group later contributed roughly 2% to 19% of the ancestry of the populations studied. Because no confirmed genome from this mystery population is available for direct comparison, the group is known as a ghost population. The evidence comes from patterns in modern genomes that do not fit neatly with the known Neanderthal and Denisovan lineages. The researchers also note that the history may have involved repeated or extended gene flow rather than one simple interbreeding event. This finding adds another layer to the already complicated story of human evolution, showing that populations that are no longer around can still leave detectable genetic traces in people living today.
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