Raphael ThysAre We Heading into a ‘Modern’ Bottleneck?
From Genetic Diversity to Energy Scarcity
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Published in
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5 min read
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Sep 20
(Photo courtesy of C&En News)
I’ve been juggling numerous defining projects in these past weeks at work. At one point, I had three co-workers on my team, but now I find myself alone. As the demands piled up, my availability and progress became a bottleneck for the entire company — a limiting factor reducing our capacity to respond to the mounting demands.
About 930,000 years ago, our ancestors faced another kind of defining moment. This time, it wasn’t about travel plans or transformational expeditions in The Andes. This time, according to a study published in Science, the issue was at the root of our species: a genetic bottleneck that nearly wiped out our species, reducing the population to a mere 1,280 breeding individuals. This bottleneck between the early and middle Pleistocene lasted for 117,000 years, leaving an indelible mark on our genetic heritage, shaping our resilience and ability to adapt.
A Glimpse into the Genetic Odyssey
Utilizing an innovative method called fast infinitesimal time coalescent process (FitCoal), scientists could determine ancient demographic inferences with modern-day human genomic sequences from 3,154 people. The technique employed present-day genome sequences from 10 African and 40 non-African populations, shedding light on the profound loss of life and genetic diversity during this cataclysmic period.
“The gap in the African and Eurasian fossil records can be explained by this bottleneck in the Early Stone Age chronologically. It coincides with this proposed time period of significant loss of fossil evidence,” said study co-author, anthropologist Giorgio Manzi.
As the Late Pleistocene era unfolded, humans ventured beyond the African continent, and human species like Neanderthals began their decline. In a climate where cold prevailed and colossal ice sheets sculpted Earth’s terrain, the Australian continent and the Americas welcomed humanity for the first time.
The Impact of a Changing World
The causes of this ancient population drop are inextricably linked to drastic climate shifts. Earth endured severe droughts, fluctuating temperatures, and the extinction of…