Mysterious ancient human group discovered for the first time dating back 6,000 years

Experts have uncovered traces of a mysterious ancient human population in Colombia that once lived there.

The South American country of Colombia, located in the north of the continent, is based upon the same lands where Homo sapiens(aka humans) first travelled from Central America and spread into South America almost 15,000 years ago.

But, researchers have now found new evidence to suggest that a previously unknown group of people once lived there, too.

The DNA of 21 sets of remains, collected from five sites on the Altiplano plateau in the centre of the country, was analysed by an international team of scientists.

Through this analysis, they were able to trace back 6,000 years of history and reveal the existence of an ancient population whose genetics bear no relation to any modern day descendants, leading anthropologists to believe the group may have been some of the earliest settlers in South America, before disappearing.

“We couldn’t find descendants of these early hunter-gatherers of the Colombian high plains – the genes were not passed on,” anthropologist Kim-Louise Krettek from the University of Tübingen explained.

“That means in the area around Bogotá there was a complete exchange of the population.”

Through DNA analysis, the team were able to map locations and draw links between generations to see how they evolved over time.

One group, which settled in the region around 6,000 years ago, has completely different genetics to another group that was seen from around 2,000 years ago, and which has genetic links to modern day groups.

It is thought the new group also represented a shift from the hunter-gatherer culture to a more skills-based culture, including pottery-making and agriculture.

Andrea Casas-Vargas, from the National University of Colombia, explained: “That genetic traces of the original population disappear completely is unusual, especially in South America.”

While the researchers haven’t speculated on the reason that the group disappeared, experts say it provides invaluable insight into the history of civilization in South America.

“These are the first ancient human genomes from Colombia ever to be published,” said anthropologist Cosimo Posth, who is also from the University of Tübingen.

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