Southern African ancient genomes estimate modern human divergence to 350,000 to 260,000 years ago

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 358; no. 6363; pp. 652 - 655
• Main Authors: Schlebusch, Carina M., Malmström, Helena, Günther, Torsten, Sjödin, Per, Coutinho, Alexandra, Edlund, Hanna, Munters, Arielle R., Vicente, Mário, Steyn, Maryna, Soodyall, Himla, Lombard, Marlize, Jakobsson, Mattias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for the Advancement of Science 03-11-2017; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: African Continental Ancestry Group - genetics; Agricultural Occupations; Bantu languages; Biological Evolution; Divergence; DNA, Ancient; Evolution; Fossils; Gene sequencing; Genetic Variation; Genome, Human; Genomes; Hominids; Human populations; Humans; Iron Age; Populations; South Africa - ethnology; Stone Age
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.aao6266

Southern Africa is consistently placed as a potential region for the evolution of Homo sapiens. We present genome sequences, up to 13x coverage, from seven ancient individuals from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The remains of three Stone Age hunter-gatherers (about 2000 years old) were genetically similar to current-day southern San groups, and those of four Iron Age farmers (300 to 500 years old) were genetically similar to present-day Bantu-language speakers. We estimate that all modern-day Khoe-San groups have been influenced by 9 to 30% genetic admixture from East Africans/Eurasians. Using traditional and new approaches, we estimate the first modern human population divergence time to between 350,000 and 260,000 years ago. This estimate increases the deepest divergence among modern humans, coinciding with anatomical developments of archaic humans into modern humans, as represented in the local fossil record.