Baffling 400,000-Year-Old Clue to Human Origins

12/26/2013

This New York Times article discusses the discovery of the oldest human DNA ever found, dating back to approximately 400,000 years ago. The DNA was extracted from a leg bone of a prehistoric human found in a Spanish cave. The article highlights the challenges faced by scientists in extracting and sequencing ancient DNA and the significant breakthrough this finding represents. The discovery raises new questions about human evolution, revealing that there were distinct human populations living in different regions of Europe during this time period. It also suggests the possibility of interbreeding between different human species. Overall, this groundbreaking discovery sheds light on our ancient human ancestors and adds a new layer of complexity to our understanding of human evolution.

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