This image provided by William Usaquen and Andrea Casas-Vargas shows the high plains in Bogota, Colombia, where a new group of humans lived 6000 years ago. Credit: William Usaquen, Andrea Casas-Vargas via AP
Scientists have identified a new old hunter-gatherer pod who lived near the land bridge between North America and South America about 6,000 years ago.
Researchers still explain how human populations spread in the Americas thousands of years ago, arriving first in North America before turning south. Groups that have separated have developed their own collection of genes that scientists can use to reconstruct the human family tree.
Discovered by old DNA, the group lived in the highlands of Bogotá today, in Colombia – where the Americas meet. Scientists do not know exactly where they are in the family tree because they are not closely linked to the ancient Amerindians in North America and no longer linked to ancient or current South Americans.
The new study was published Wednesday in the journal Scientific advances.
“Until now, we do not believe that there was another line that would appear in South America,” said archaeologist Andre Luiz Campelo Dos Santos of Florida Atlantic University who was not involved in the new research. “It’s unexpected.”
Barely 4,000 years later, these former humans had disappeared and a genetically differential human clan lived in the region. Scientists do not know exactly what made them disappear, whether they are mixed in a new larger group or have been fully pushed.
The analysis of more genes in South America will help confirm whether this new group has really disappeared or if there could be evidence of their descendants elsewhere, said Campelo dos Santos.
The study of these ancient Colombian genes is important to bring together the history of the Americas, because ancient people had to cross this terrestrial bridge to settle and spread across South America.
The region is “the gateway to the South American continent,” said the author of the study Andrea Casas-Vargas with the National University of Colombia.
More information:
Kim-Louise Krettek et al, a 6000-year genomic transect from the Bogotá Altiplano reveals several genetic changes in the demographic history of Colombia, Scientific advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126 / SCIADV.ADS6284
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material cannot be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed without authorization.
Quote: Ancient DNA discovers an unknown group near the terrestrial bridge of the Americas 6,000 years ago (2025, May 28) recovered on May 29, 2025 from
This document is subject to copyright. In addition to any fair program for private or research purposes, no part can be reproduced without written authorization. The content is provided only for information purposes.
