Scientists have identified a long-lost group of hunter-gatherers who vanished from Colombia’s highlands 2,000 years ago, reshaping our understanding of ancient human migrations in South America.
A groundbreaking DNA analysis has revealed traces of a previously unknown indigenous population that lived in what is now Colombia—and vanished thousands of years ago without leaving a genetic legacy. The findings, published in Science Advances, suggest a complete population turnover in the Colombian Andes, where today’s capital, Bogotá, now stands.
Researchers analyzed ancient DNA from 21 human skeletons unearthed at five archaeological sites on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, a high plateau in central Colombia. These included samples from different time periods, ranging from early hunter-gatherers who lived 6,000 years ago to more recent indigenous groups from just over 500 years ago.
The study found that the earliest group—hunter-gatherers who inhabited the Checua site 6,000 years ago—had unique genetic signatures that disappeared entirely around 4,000 years ago. “We have not been able to find any descendants of these early hunter-gatherers from the Colombian Highlands,” researchers noted. “That means there has been a complete population exchange around Bogotá.”
Later populations, including those from the Herrera and Muisca cultures, show genetic ties to groups that likely migrated from Central America, bringing with them new technologies such as ceramics. This suggests a major cultural and demographic shift took place between 6,000 and 2,000 years ago.
The Herrera period, beginning around 2,800 years ago, saw the rise of pottery and more complex settlement patterns. However, how these innovations reached the highlands had remained unclear until now. The genetic evidence strongly supports the theory that migrating populations introduced these cultural changes—replacing the earlier indigenous group entirely.
This study not only uncovers a lost chapter of human history in South America but also challenges long-held assumptions about cultural continuity among indigenous communities in the Andes.
Uzbekistan secured a place at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history, earning a landmark qualification following a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Germany will increase its military personnel by up to 60,000 troops as part of efforts to meet new NATO force and readiness targets, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced Friday, citing the country’s responsibility as Europe's largest economy.
Azerbaijan marked its National Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, with a cultural celebration that highlighted the country’s heritage, innovation, and growing global partnerships. The event took place at Azerbaijan’s national pavilion, which has become one of the most visited at the exhibition since
British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves is preparing to unveil a high-stakes, multi-year public spending review on June 11 that will allocate over £2 trillion ($2.7 trillion) and shape the Labour government’s ambitions through the rest of its term.
OpenAI is challenging a court order that requires it to indefinitely preserve ChatGPT output data in an ongoing copyright lawsuit filed by The New York Times, arguing that the mandate risks violating user privacy.
Uzbekistan secured a place at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history, earning a landmark qualification following a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Germany will increase its military personnel by up to 60,000 troops as part of efforts to meet new NATO force and readiness targets, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced Friday, citing the country’s responsibility as Europe's largest economy.
The world stands precariously close to nuclear disaster, with civilian plants under attack and alarming rhetoric normalising the use of atomic weapons, warns Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Azerbaijan marked its National Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, with a cultural celebration that highlighted the country’s heritage, innovation, and growing global partnerships. The event took place at Azerbaijan’s national pavilion, which has become one of the most visited at the exhibition since
British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves is preparing to unveil a high-stakes, multi-year public spending review on June 11 that will allocate over £2 trillion ($2.7 trillion) and shape the Labour government’s ambitions through the rest of its term.
As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
A bridge collapse in the Vygonichsky district of Russia’s Bryansk region, near the Ukrainian border, caused a train derailment and a traffic accident early Sunday, killing at least seven people and leaving 30 injured, according to emergency services.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has confirmed it carried out a third targeted attack against the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, early Tuesday morning, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture early Monday, causing no reported injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued, officials confirmed.
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended abruptly in Istanbul on Monday, lasting just over an hour amid mounting tensions following a major Ukrainian drone strike on Russian strategic bombers and renewed pressure from the U.S. for a breakthrough.
A groundbreaking discovery about the mysterious Oort cloud, the outermost region of our solar system, has emerged from the creation of the American Museum of Natural History's new Hayden Planetarium show, "Encounters in the Milky Way."
China has successfully launched a new set of low Earth orbit satellites, continuing its ongoing space deployment efforts, according to state media.
OpenAI is seeing an increasing number of Chinese groups using its artificial intelligence technology for covert operations, which the ChatGPT maker described in a report released Thursday.
Meta is turning to nuclear power to meet its rising energy needs for artificial intelligence and computing.
China’s electric scooter boom is accelerating the rise of salt-based batteries — a cheaper and safer alternative to lithium.
Uzbekistan secured a place at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history, earning a landmark qualification following a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Germany will increase its military personnel by up to 60,000 troops as part of efforts to meet new NATO force and readiness targets, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced Friday, citing the country’s responsibility as Europe's largest economy.
The world stands precariously close to nuclear disaster, with civilian plants under attack and alarming rhetoric normalising the use of atomic weapons, warns Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Azerbaijan marked its National Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, with a cultural celebration that highlighted the country’s heritage, innovation, and growing global partnerships. The event took place at Azerbaijan’s national pavilion, which has become one of the most visited at the exhibition since
British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves is preparing to unveil a high-stakes, multi-year public spending review on June 11 that will allocate over £2 trillion ($2.7 trillion) and shape the Labour government’s ambitions through the rest of its term.
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