Recent studies suggest that the human population may have dwindled to as few as 1,280 individuals between 930,000 and 813,000 years ago. This near-extinction event, known as a population bottleneck, had a significant impact on human genetic diversity.

Recent genetic studies suggest that the human population may have dwindled to as few as 1,280 individuals between 930,000 and 813,000 years ago. This near-extinction event, known as a population bottleneck, had a significant impact on human genetic diversity.

The exact reasons for this population bottleneck are still unknown, but there are several theories:

• Climate change: This period was marked by significant climate change, including a sharp cooling across the globe that saw growing glaciers, chillier seas, extended droughts and stronger monsoons. This could have made it difficult for our ancestors to find food and shelter, leading to a decline in population.
• Competition with other hominins: Other hominin species, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, may have competed with our ancestors for resources, further reducing their numbers.
• Disease: A new disease could have decimated the population, leaving only a small number of survivors.
  This near-extinction event had a profound impact on human evolution. It reduced genetic diversity, which may have made our ancestors more vulnerable to future challenges. However, it also may have played a role in the development of our large brains and complex social structures.
  It is important to note that this research is still ongoing, and there is much that we still do not know about this period in human history. However, the findings suggest that our ancestors faced a very real threat of extinction, and that their survival was far from guaranteed.
  This near-extinction event highlights the fragility of the human species and the importance of protecting our planet and its resources. It also reminds us that we are all connected, and that our actions can have a profound impact on the future of our species.

Around 300,000 years ago, anatomically modern humans emerged in Africa, a pivotal moment in human history. Yet, the roots of this lineage stretch much further back, over six million years, when the human lineage separated from chimpanzees and bonobos.

Despite significant progress in mapping human evolutionary history, understanding the ancient population size of early human ancestors remains elusive, particularly during the Pleistocene epoch. 

Limited access to ancient DNA from African Homo specimens complicates efforts to explore these mysteries, leaving researchers dependent on present-day genomic data.

A groundbreaking study published in Science, addresses this challenge using a novel computational approach. 

A team of researchers from China, Italy, and the United States employed a method called FitCoal (fast infinitesimal time coalescent process) to analyze modern human genomic data from 3,154 individuals.

The Bottleneck Discovery

This severe bottleneck, occurring between 930,000 and 813,000 years ago, represents a period of drastic population decline. During this era, climatic upheavals, including glaciation events and severe droughts, dramatically altered ecosystems. 

These conditions likely disrupted food sources and created harsh survival challenges. Senior author Giorgio Manzi, an anthropologist at Sapienza University of Rome, explains, “The gap in the African and Eurasian fossil records can be explained by this bottleneck in the Early Stone Age. Chronologically, it coincides with significant loss of fossil evidence.

FitCoal: A Revolutionary Method

Traditional methods for studying ancient population sizes often rely on formulas that struggle with accuracy due to numerical errors. 

FitCoal overcomes these limitations, providing precise demographic inferences by analyzing the site frequency spectrum (SFS) of genomic sequences. SFS tracks the distribution of allele frequencies in present-day human genomes, preserving clues about ancient population changes.

The fact that FitCoal can detect the ancient severe bottleneck with even a few sequences represents a breakthrough,” says senior author Yun-Xin Fu, a theoretical population geneticist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. This methodology not only illuminated the bottleneck but also paved the way for new questions about early human survival and adaptation

Future Research Directions

While the discovery of this bottleneck offers crucial insights, it also raises new questions. Researchers aim to unravel the geographic locations of these early humans and the strategies they employed to survive. Further genomic analysis and archaeological investigations are necessary to build a more complete picture of human evolution during the Early to Middle Pleistocene transition.

“These findings are just the start,” says senior author Li Haipeng, a computational biologist at the Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health. “Future goals with this knowledge aim to paint a more complete picture of human evolution during this period, unraveling the mystery that is early human ancestry and evolution.”

This research bridges significant gaps in the fossil record and offers a deeper understanding of how climatic events and genetic bottlenecks shaped the path of human evolution. 

By revealing a critical chapter in our past, it provides a foundation for future studies that could uncover even more about our species’ origins.

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