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How Ancient DNA Shows Mobility and Identity on Peru’s Coa
New research using ancient DNA is changing what we know about life on Peru’s coast long before the Inca Empire. Scientists studied DNA from human remains found at several coastal sites, and they combined these data with radiocarbon dating and chemical analysis of teeth and bones to learn how people moved and lived. The results…
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Ancient DNA Shows How Unequal Life Was in Eastern Zhou China
A new scientific study by ancient DNA has looked at skeletons from a 2,500 year old cemetery in China. The findings show how unequal life was during the Eastern Zhou period (771–221 BC), especially between rich and poor, and between men and women. Scientists used DNA, proteins, and chemical clues in bones and teeth to…
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Hippos in Ice Age Europe? Ancient DNA is Rewriting Our Wildlife History
You might be surprised to learn that hippos once lived in Europe not just during warm periods, but right in the middle of the Ice Age! But new research turns that idea on its head. Scientists have discovered that hippos lived in Germany’s Upper Rhine valley between about 49,000 and 31,000 years ago…
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Ancient Bones, Surprising Roots: African Ancestry Found in 1,300-Year-Old English Skeletons
Ancient Bones Tell Amazing Story: African Roots Found in England! Scientists in England have made a really interesting discovery! They looked at the bones of people who lived there about 1,300 years ago. These bones were found a while back, but now scientists have studied their DNA – that’s like the special code inside our…
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From Jomon to Modern Japan: A DNA Journey
27,000-Year-Old Bones Rewrite Japanese History Ancient DNA rewrites the Journey of the Japanese People and it uses the latest science to trace Japan’s genetic history, showing how modern Japanese people are connected to ancient ancestors. Deep in the Shiraho Saonetabaru Cave on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, archaeologists found something extraordinary a nearly complete 27,000 years old skeleton. This…
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Ancient Genes Tell a New Story: The Phoenicians’ True Ancestry
Secrets of the Phoenicians: Why Their Genes Didn’t Travel Like Their Culture? and What Ancient DNA Says About the Phoenicians’ Global Influence. A new study, published in Nature on 23 April, uncovers surprising revelations about the ancient Phoenician civilization. While the Phoenicians spread their culture, language, and revolutionary alphabet across the Mediterranean, their genetic footprint did…
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Ancient DNA Reveals European Boat Trip to North Africa
Ancient DNA Reveals European Boat Trip to North Africa History, as we know it, is constantly being rewritten as new discoveries emerge. And a recent study involving ancient DNA has thrown a complete reversal of expectations into our understanding of Stone Age migrations. It appears that European hunter-gatherers, those resourceful ancestors of ours, might have…
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Ancient DNA Rewrites European Prehistory: A Tale of Ice Age Diversity
Europe during the Ice Age a frozen, icy land where tough hunter-gatherers lived and survived in extreme conditions. For years, experts thought these ancient people all shared a similar culture. But now, due to amazing advances in ancient DNA research, we’ve learned the truth is much more complex and interesting than we ever thought.…
