A group of ancient hunter-gatherers who inhabited the high plateaus near modern-day Bogotá, Colombia, has been identified by scientists. This group lived around 6,000 years ago, near the land bridge that once connected North America and South America. The results were reported in the journal Science Advances. The DNA from this group shows they were distinct from both ancient Native Americans in North America and ancient or modern South Americans. The exact place of this group in the human family tree remains unclear to scientists. Archaeologist Andre Luiz Campelo dos Santos, who was not part of the study, said this discovery was unexpected because experts believed no other ancient group would be found in South America.

The study suggests that this group disappeared after about 4,000 years. A different human group with a new genetic background later lived in the same area. It is still unclear why the ancient group vanished. Some experts think they may have joined a larger population, while others believe they were displaced entirely. Further analysis of ancient DNA may clarify whether this group vanished completely or if their descendants are present in other regions of South America. According to the research team, studying ancient genes in this region is important to understanding how early populations migrated from North America to South America. The area where the discovery was made is considered a “gateway” to the continent, playing a key role in the dispersal of early human populations across the Americas. The findings could also contribute to broader knowledge about human lineages and ancient anthropological patterns in the Americas.