DNA from ancient human remains in Colombia points to a previously unidentified genetic lineage—but it does not prove that no living people share ancestry with those individuals. The 2025 study examined genome-wide data from 21 people from the Bogotá Altiplano, spanning about 6,000 to 500 years ago. Its oldest sampled group, associated with the Checua site, represents a lineage that researchers did not identify in the populations included in their comparisons.
What did the study find?
The researchers describe the preceramic hunter-gatherers as a “previously unknown basal lineage” deriving from the initial radiation of people into South America. That is the authors’ summary in their 2025 Science Advances paper, “A 6000-year-long genomic transect from the Bogotá Altiplano reveals multiple genetic shifts in the demographic history of Colombia.”
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Here, “lineage” means a branch in human population history identified through genetic relationships. It does not mean researchers discovered a different human species. The finding emerged from a broader regional study: the paper reports genome-wide data for 21 individuals from the Bogotá Altiplano, covering roughly 6,000 to 500 years ago. The abstract and bibliographic record are also available through PubMed.
Where were the oldest remains found?
The oldest sampled group is associated with Checua, an archaeological site near Nemocón in Colombia’s Cundinamarca department. The National University of Colombia identifies the site as being in the municipality of Nemocón and describes the hunter-gatherer remains as approximately 6,000 years old: the university’s account of the study.
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What does “no known living population shares their DNA” mean?
It means the researchers did not identify a matching lineage among the ancient and present-day populations included in their analyses. It is a result bounded by the samples and comparisons available to the study—not proof that no person alive today shares any ancestry with the ancient people.
Those statements are not equivalent. A lineage can be difficult to detect if its descendants mixed into other populations, if relevant populations have not been sampled, or if the available genetic data cannot resolve the connection. The finding supports “not identified in the comparisons,” rather than the absolute claim that all genetic contribution disappeared.
Do researchers know what happened to the group?
No definitive cause is established in the reporting. The Associated Press says researchers are unsure whether the group mixed into another population or was displaced. Archaeologist Andre Luiz Campelo dos Santos, who was not involved in the study, called the result “unexpected.” He also noted that more genetic data from South America could help test whether descendants are present elsewhere. Read the Associated Press report.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe disappearance of a distinct signal in the populations examined cannot, on its own, tell us what happened to the people or rule out descendants in groups not represented in the analysis.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should the headline claim be read?
A careful reading is that scientists found evidence of a previously unidentified genetic lineage among ancient people from Colombia’s Bogotá Altiplano, and did not find that lineage in the living populations they compared. The result expands what is known about the region’s population history; it does not establish that no living population anywhere has ancestry connected to the group.
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