Unknown Human Lineage Discovered at the Crossroads of the Americas

A antecedently chartless colonisation has been identified successful Colombia’s Altiplano, revealing a familial lineage chiseled from immoderate different successful the Americas. Credit: Petruss / CC BY-SA 3.0

An past and antecedently chartless colonisation has been identified successful the highlands of Colombia, revealing a familial lineage dissimilar immoderate different successful the Americas.

The study, published this week successful Science Advances, analyzed past DNA from 21 individuals who lived successful the Altiplano Cundiboyacense portion adjacent Bogotá. These individuals lived betwixt 6,000 and 500 years ago, spanning respective large taste periods successful South American history.

Researchers recovered that 1 group, dating backmost 6,000 years, carried a familial signature dissimilar immoderate known past oregon modern populations successful the Americas. This aboriginal radical does not amusement adjacent familial ties to Native American populations successful North America oregon to those successful Central and South America.

Instead, the DNA reveals a antecedently chartless lineage that apt branched disconnected during the earliest colony of the continent.

Americas past colonisation disappeared 4,000 years ago

The find challenges earlier models of quality migration, which suggested that aboriginal populations successful Colombia descended from groups that gradually moved southbound from North America. But the past radical recovered successful this survey look to person followed a antithetic path.

Scientists accidental this radical whitethorn person arrived during the archetypal quality enlargement into South America but remained isolated for thousands of years.

Roughly 4,000 years ago, this past lineage disappeared. Their familial illustration was replaced by a caller population, apt linked to migrations from Lower Central America.

Researchers judge this alteration coincides with the accomplishment of pottery and farming techniques, marking a large taste and familial displacement successful the region.

Chibchan ancestry dispersed southbound and remained stable

The incoming radical carried ancestry associated with radical who spoke Chibchan languages, inactive spoken contiguous successful parts of Central and South America. The survey shows that this ancestry remained unchangeable successful the portion for implicit 1,500 years, done the Herrera and Muisca periods, and up to the clip of Spanish colonization.

A caller survey titled "From North Asia to South America: Tracing the longest quality dispersal," published successful Science, offers a broad familial probe into 1 of the astir singular migrations successful quality prehistory—the peopling of America. This probe sheds caller light… pic.twitter.com/kEtKslWWrq

— Archaeo – Histories (@archeohistories) May 29, 2025

This country served arsenic “the gateway to the South American continent,” said Andrea Casas-Vargas, a researcher astatine the National University of Colombia and 1 of the study’s authors.

DNA grounds besides links the Muisca people, who lived successful the portion during the past 1,000 years, to these earlier Chibchan-speaking groups.

The findings suggest that Chibchan languages whitethorn person been spoken connected the Altiplano centuries earlier the Muisca civilization roseate to prominence.

Questions stay astir the wider interaction crossed the Andes

While the study offers caller clarity connected Colombia’s past populations, researchers accidental much enactment is needed. Genetic information from adjacent regions specified arsenic occidental Venezuela and Ecuador could assistance find whether akin shifts occurred elsewhere successful the bluish Andes.

The find highlights however past DNA continues to reshape the knowing of quality past successful the Americas, particularly astatine the important crossroads wherever 2 continents meet.