Scientists discovered a lost branch of humanity that survived the Ice Age
Evidence found at the Donghulin archaeological site in Beijing suggests there may have been a previously unknown human lineage that called northern East Asia home. This unsung offshoot of humanity was discovered after researchers analyzed ancient DNA from individuals who lived through the end of the last ice age and in a slowly defined world. The research was published in Current Biology.
One of these people was a woman who lived about 11,000 years ago. She was part of this previously unknown lineage that split from other populations around 19,000 years ago. They were not exactly newcomers adapting to a changing climate, but were well-established societies that managed to survive it.
They thrived for thousands of years in some of the harshest environments Earth has seen in the time humans have been around. They lived to tell us what life was like when the world changed from a gigantic tundra to a more habitable home.
Scientists say a lost human line survived the Ice Age
Another individual, a man who lived about 9,500 years ago, had a genetic profile more closely aligned with later Neolithic agricultural populations in northern China. At that time, migration and cultural exchange were well underway.
Together, this ancient pair suggests that northern East Asia did not experience a sudden population replacement like parts of Europe did. Instead, it underwent a protracted transition in which older lineages coexisted with advancing groups, adopting new tools, diets, and ultimately agriculture.
The site contains a mix of features, such as pottery, durable dwellings, and early signs of millet farming, suggesting that these lost lineages were not exclusively hunter-gatherers. It messes up the timeline a bit, while also clearing things up as it presents a series of overlapping people who made important discoveries at different rates.
It makes sense, because as you’ve probably heard from your favorite sports team’s coach at a postgame press conference, progress isn’t linear. This is as true in basketball as it is in the evolution of mankind over thousands of years.
