Wikimedia CommonsHomo sapiens Scientists widely believe that modern human beings evolved from a single population of Homo sapiens in present-day Morocco some 300,000 years ago. But a new study is now suggesting that we rewrite the very foundations of our evolution. According to research published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, early humans did not emerge from a single population, but instead from a diverse collection of groups unlike anything most scientists had imagined in the past. “Early humans comprised a subdivided, shifting, pan-African meta-population with physical and cultural diversity,” read a statement on the research. “This framework better explains existing genetic, fossil, and cultural patterns and clarifies our shared ancestry. Trends in Ecology & EvolutionA diverse sampling of early human tools discovered in various regions across present-day Africa. This interdisciplinary group of researchers indeed studied the genetic, fossil, cultural, and even ecological evidence to conclude that early humans were just too diverse to have evolved from one population. As for the genetic evidence, the researchers contend that the diversity of DNA between modern human populations still present in Africa today is so great that all of these groups could not have originally come from a mere single population. Of course, the genetic and fossil evidence go hand in hand, and the disparate physical forms of early humans across various regions suggest that there could not have been just one origin point. “In the fossil record, we see a mosaic-like, continental-wide trend toward the modern human form, and the fact that these features appear at different places at different times tells us that these populations were not well connected,” said Eleanor Scerri, a British Academy postdoctoral fellow in archaeology at the University of Oxford and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. Trends in Ecology & EvolutionComparison of two early human skulls from separate regions. And beyond fossil evidence, the researchers even argue that various early human groups had to have been largely separate for ecological reasons in that Africa’s rivers, deserts, forests, and other physical barriers would have naturally led to subdivided populations. “For the first time, we’ve examined all the relevant archaeological, fossil, genetic, and environmental data together to eliminate field-specific biases and assumptions and confirm that a mosaic, pan-African origin view is a much better fit with the data that we have,” said Scerri. Scerri and company’s new theory does indeed suggest a pan-African origin of modern humans, claiming that our ancestors evolved in various groups from the continent’s southern tip all the way up to its northern coast. And with this theory in place, the researchers hope that we can rethink our origins and learn more about our collective past and how different groups grew out of different Homo sapiens populations (a topic not tackled in this study). “We’ve arrived at a place where we can begin to address some key questions about our shared ancestry,” Scerri said, “and even emerge with new questions we haven’t known to ask before.” Next, check out the most fascinating facts about Charles Darwin, the man behind the theory of evolution. Then, discover the identity of the very first animal known to exist on planet Earth. The post We Didn’t All Evolve From One Population Of Early Humans, New Research Claims appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Museum VestsjællandThe pair of ancient gold-plated lances recently unearthed near Boeslunde. Archaeologists have discovered Denmark’s earliest-known iron weapons — two gold-plated lances — at a sacred Bronze Age site near the village of Boeslunde on Zealand. This find is now offering new insights into the region’s ancient metalworking and ritual practices. The excavation, carried out by archaeologists from Museum Vestsjælland in August 2025, initially aimed to investigate the history behind Boeslunde’s famed wealth of ancient artifacts made of gold, which includes 10 oath rings and more than 2,000 gold spirals unearthed in previous decades. In addition to the pair of lances, researchers found a natural spring beneath where the town’s gold artifacts have been located, which may have made this area an important site for ceremonial offerings. It was during documentation of the spring that the team identified what at first looked like just a piece of corroded metal — but proved to be part of a 2,800-year-old iron lance. Then, a second weapon was found nearby, leaving archaeologists with two lances unlike anything from this era ever found in Europe before. The Stunning Construction Of The Ancient Lances Found In Boeslunde “I could see immediately that it was something truly special. It felt like my head was going to explode,” museum director Lone Claudi-Hansen told TV2 East. Radiocarbon dating of birch pitch preserved on one lance tip dated the weapons to sometime between 900 and 830 B.C.E., placing them in Bronze Age Period V and making them the oldest iron artifacts ever discovered in Denmark. Despite heavy corrosion, gold inlays remain visible along the blades and shafts. X-ray imaging of the better-preserved lance also revealed circular gold decorations, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship. “When we started the excavation, the goal was not to find more gold, but to understand why all the gold objects were right here,” Claudi-Hansen said. “The fact that we also came across two completely unique gold-decorated iron lances – already in the first days of the excavation – was a huge surprise. They turn out to be very early iron finds and objects that we have never seen before.” Museum VestsjællandArchaeologists from Museum Vestsjælland working at the Boeslunde site. The combination of early ironwork with gold ornamentation is exceptionally rare in Northern Europe, with no known parallels in the region. Similar gold-plated weapons are virtually nonexistent, even in Central Europe and Greece. What’s more, researchers now believe that they have an explanation for the high density of gold artifacts found at Boeslunde. Boeslunde: An Ancient Ritual Site Filled With Gold Offerings As Claudi-Hansen noted, the discovery of the spring likely explains why Boeslunde has yielded an unusually dense concentration of gold treasures dating back to antiquity. The spring, along with nearby cooking pits and gold offerings — as well as six gold bowls found at nearby Borgbjerg Banke — suggests that this area was a hub of repeated ritual activity. Researchers believe that pieces made of precious metals were deliberately deposited in or around the water source, continuing a European tradition of ceremonial offerings at springs and wetlands. Museum VestsjællandBoeslunde was likely an important ritual site during the Bronze Age, hence the large number of gold artifacts found here in recent years. The lances’ advanced metallurgy and decorative gold embellishments indicate Boeslunde’s significance as both a religious and economic center during the Late Bronze Age. These finds also challenge previous assumptions about the timeline of iron adoption in Denmark, suggesting sophisticated ironworking may have emerged earlier than previously thought. With more questions to be answered, Museum Vestsjælland emphasized the site’s importance for understanding Bronze Age rituals and technological advancements. From here, further analysis of the weapons and surrounding artifacts may provide additional clues about the social and cultural practices of ancient Danish societies. After reading about these gold-plated lances found in Denmark, check out 44 ancient artifacts that unlock the mysteries of the past. Then, explore the stories of 25 seemingly out-of-place artifacts and the truth about their origins. The post Archaeologists In Denmark Just Unearthed A Pair Of Gold-Plated Lances Dating Back 2,800 Years appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Public DomainStar of Bethlehem, painted by Elihu Vedder circa 1879. The Star of Bethlehem has long been a topic of debate and mystery within the world of astronomy. Based on biblical descriptions, the star that was storied to have guided the magi, or wise men, to the manger of baby Jesus didn’t behave like a typical star in the night sky. Scientists have struggled to positively connect the star to any specific astronomical event. Now, however, a NASA planetary scientist has proposed a new theory: The Star of Bethlehem was actually a comet. The Star Of Bethlehem May Have Been A Comet NASA planetary scientist Mark Matney recently published his study about the Star of Bethlehem in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association. To support his theory that the celestial body was a comet, Matney turned to astronomical accounts from ancient China. He found one document that described a strange object that appeared in the sky in 5 B.C.E. and was visible for 70 days. From there, Matney mapped out a potential orbit that the “star” may have followed. Alessandro Bianconi/Wikimedia CommonsNASA scientist Mark Matney posits that the Star of Bethlehem was actually a comet that takes millions of years to orbit the Sun. His research began back when he was still in college. He was working at a planetarium at the time, and it was during a Christmas sky show that his theory came about. The show noted that the Star of Bethlehem was unlike any other observed celestial bodies, which typically rise in the east and set in the west. In the Bible, the star was described to have ascended from the south and remained still for hours. Matney realized that the entire story may be mythical, but he also knew there was one object that could behave in such a way: a comet. Using the description in the ancient Chinese account, Matney concluded that the comet would have appeared as if it were moving ahead of someone in the sky if they were walking from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, as the wise men did. Furthermore, if the comet were traveling at just the right speed, direction, and distance from Earth, it would look as if it had paused overhead for about two hours. So, could this supposed comet have actually been the Star of Bethlehem? The Comet Of Bethlehem Theory Is Not Universally Accepted Not everyone agrees with Matney’s conclusion. Astrophysicist Ralph Neuhäuser from Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Germany told Scientific American that the Chinese source may be misleading. “The older the record, in general, the less information is left,” Neuhäuser, who was uninvolved in Matney’s research, told the outlet. Thanhouser Films/Wikimedia CommonsA poster for the 1912 film Star of Bethlehem. Matney, while agreeing that ancient texts are not guaranteed to be reliable, noted that Chinese documentation has “proven to be, in general, pretty accurate.” In the past, astronomical records from China have correctly described stellar explosions and the path of Halley’s Comet. “My goal here was to not prove that this was the Star of Bethlehem,” said Matney, “but to show that the idea that no astronomical object can behave this way — we can no longer say that.” After reading about the theory that the Star of Bethlehem was actually a comet, go inside the apocalyptic frenzy inspired by Halley’s Comet in 1910. Then, learn about the global sensation of the Hale-Bopp Comet. The post A NASA Scientist Believes The Star Of Bethlehem Was Likely A Comet appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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