One sentence summary – Researchers from China, Italy, and the United States have used the FitCoal method to address a previously unexplained gap in the African/Eurasian fossil record, suggesting that early human ancestors underwent a significant bottleneck event with a population of approximately 1,280 breeding individuals sustained for about 117,000 years, raising questions about their living locations, ability to survive climate changes, and whether natural selection during the bottleneck period accelerated the evolution of the human brain.
At a glance
- Researchers from China, Italy, and the United States used the FitCoal method to address a gap in the African/Eurasian fossil record.
- FitCoal involves analyzing modern-day human genomic sequences from 3,154 individuals.
- The study suggests that early human ancestors underwent a significant bottleneck event with a population of approximately 1,280 breeding individuals sustained for about 117,000 years.
- The implications of these findings raise questions about the living locations of these individuals, their ability to survive climate changes, and whether natural selection during the bottleneck period accelerated the evolution of the human brain.
- This groundbreaking study sheds light on a pivotal period in early human history and provides valuable insights into the demographic dynamics and potential evolutionary advancements of our ancestors.
The details
Researchers from China, Italy, and the United States have used the FitCoal method to address a previously unexplained gap in the African/Eurasian fossil record.
FitCoal involves analyzing modern-day human genomic sequences from 3,154 individuals.
This method allows researchers to make demographic inferences.
The study suggests that early human ancestors underwent a significant bottleneck event.
This event saw a population of approximately 1,280 breeding individuals sustained for about 117,000 years.
The implications of these findings raise several intriguing questions.
These questions concern the living locations of these individuals, their ability to survive climate changes, and whether natural selection during the bottleneck period accelerated the evolution of the human brain.
The research was led by Haipeng Li at SINH-CAS and Yi-Hsuan Pan at ECNU.
The study also involved contributions from esteemed researchers at the University of Florence, Sapienza University of Rome, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Wangjie Hu and Ziqian Hao, formerly affiliated with SINH-CAS and ECNU, and now with other institutions, serve as the first authors of this research.
Additionally, Pengyuan Du at SINH-CAS and Jialong Cui at ECNU played significant roles in contributing to the study.
This groundbreaking study, employing the FitCoal method, sheds light on a pivotal period in early human history.
It provides valuable insights into the demographic dynamics and potential evolutionary advancements of our ancestors.
The collaborative effort between researchers from different nations and institutions has contributed to a comprehensive understanding of our human lineage.
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| scitechdaily.com |
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| – Researchers from China, Italy, and the United States have used a method called FitCoal to explain an unexplained gap in the African/Eurasian fossil record. – |
| The FitCoal method involved using modern-day human genomic sequences from 3,154 individuals to determine demographic inferences. |
| – The research suggests that early human ancestors experienced a severe bottleneck, with approximately 1,280 breeding individuals sustaining a population for about 117,000 years. – |
| The findings raise questions about where these individuals lived, how they survived climate changes, and whether natural selection during the bottleneck accelerated the evolution of the human brain. |
| – |
| The research was led by Haipeng Li at SINH-CAS and Yi-Hsuan Pan at ECNU, with contributions from researchers at the University of Florence, Sapienza University of Rome, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. – |
| The first authors of the research are Wangjie Hu and Ziqian Hao, who were previously affiliated with SINH-CAS and ECNU and are now affiliated with other institutions. |
| Pengyuan Du at SINH-CAS and Jialong Cui at ECNU also contributed to the research. |
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