Ancient DNA reveals surprises about how early Africans lived, traveled and interacted

A new analysis of human remains buried at African archaeological sites has turned up the continent’s oldest DNA. Elizabeth Sawchuk, a Banting postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta and a research assistant professor at Stony Brook University tells a fascinating story of how early humans lived, traveled, and even found their significant other. Researchers have long assumed that major changes in the archaeological record around 50,000 years ago reflected changes in social networks and perhaps even changes in population size. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3Ndd1CF @nysernet @universityofalberta @stonybrookuniversity #nysernet #universityofalberta #stonybrookuniversity

Photo Caption and Credit:

Hora Rockshelter in Malawi, where recent excavations uncovered two of the individuals analyzed in a collaborative study of ancient DNA. Credit: Jacob Davis.