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An early human extinction event wiped out Homo erectus, dating back 900,000 years ago.  Source: emilio100/Adobe Stock

99% of Ancient Human Population Wiped Out 900,000 Years Ago (Video)

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Today, our planet teems with over 8 billion human beings, a staggering contrast to the world 800,000 to 900,000 years ago. Recent scientific revelations illuminate a pivotal juncture in human evolution, spotlighting a near-extinction event for 'Homo erectus.' This revelation emerged from a study indicating that, during a harsh ice age span, our ancestors faced a perilous situation. Genetic clues pinpoint a bottleneck roughly 813,000 to 930,000 years ago, where 98.7% of the breeding population vanished.

Astonishingly, our forebears endured a protracted near-extinction scenario, their survival owed to sheer determination and serendipity. A study, titled 'Genomic inference of a severe human bottleneck during the Early to Middle Pleistocene transition,' chronicles this episode, highlighting a small yet resilient population persisting for over 100,000 years. This prolonged stability catalyzed the divergence of modern humans, Neanderthals, and the enigmatic Denisovans, shaping the course of human evolution.

Top image:  An early human extinction event wiped out Homo erectus, dating back 900,000 years ago.  Source: emilio100/Adobe Stock

By Robbie Mitchell

 
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Robbie

I’m a graduate of History and Literature from The University of Manchester in England and a total history geek. Since a young age, I’ve been obsessed with history. The weirder the better. I spend my days working as a freelance... Read More

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