Science
Neanderthal DNA extracted from cave dirt shows population movements 100,000 years ago – ABC News
Where ancient humans lived — and when — can be unveiled using DNA extracted from sediment layers dug from cave floors.
Some 100,000 years ago, deep in a cave in what is now northern Spain, a Neanderthal female lived and maybe died.
Key points:
- Fossilised remains of ancient humans such as Neanderthals are rare
- Researchers developed a technique to extract and analyse DNA from cave sediments
- The method can help archaeologists piece together patterns of human migration stretching back hundreds of thousand of years
She may have been alone, or perhaps accompanied by sisters or a daughter. But she certainly wasn’t the first…
Continue Reading
