Scientists in Colombia have discovered a previously unknown lineage of human beings after fully sequencing the DNA of ancient remains excavated at archeological sites near the country's capital Bogota.

Bogotá

Researchers in Colombia have identified a previously unknown human lineage by fully sequencing the DNA of ancient remains from the Chekwa group, which lived around 6,000 years ago. The remains were excavated in the Nemecón municipality in 1992, but only recently underwent complete genomic analysis.

Comparisons with other ancient individuals from the Americas revealed that the Chekwa, found on the Cundiboya-Sensei plateau, possess a unique genetic lineage not previously reported. Scientists believe the Chekwa may have been an isolated, nomadic hunter-gatherer community with no known descendants, possibly disappearing due to environmental factors or disease.

DNA sequencing of ancient remains reveals unknown human lineage

This skull belongs to a previously unknown lineage of human beings dating back about 6,000 years ago. That's according to scientists in Colombia who made the discovery after fully sequencing the DNA of the ancient remains. The group, called the Chekwa, was excavated here in the Nemecón municipality in 1992, but never had their genome fully sequenced before. Andrea Casas is a researcher at the National University's Genetic Institute. When we started to compare with other individuals from other parts of the Americas, we found that the individuals from the pre-ceramic period, found here in the Cundiboya-Sensei plateau, have a lineage that hasn't been reported. It's a new lineage. So where did the Chekwa come from, and what happened to them? The scientists are not sure, but it's possible the group represents an isolated, nomadic hunter-gatherer community, according to Casas. The group could have died out because of climate conditions, disease or lack of food, she says. They have no known descendants.

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Breakdown