一项新的研究声称,现代人类起源于博茨瓦纳。这项研究发表在《自然》杂志上。研究人员表示,他们利用DNA发现了现代人的起源。研究人员认为,我们都起源于博茨瓦纳北部赞比西河以南的一个地区。20万年前人类就在那里。他们在非洲大陆生活了至少7万年。然后他们开始迁移到现在的欧洲和亚洲。澳大利亚悉尼大学的研究员凡妮莎·海斯教授说:“我们早就知道,现代人类起源于大约20万年前的非洲。”
The researchers pinpointed an area called Okavango as being the place we come from. There used to be a huge lake there but it is now salt flats. The people had access to water, hunting and farmland. Scientists analyzed DNA samples from 200 people who live near the area today. They are from the Khoisan people. The Khoisan now live in modern-day South Africa and Namibia. They had a lot of DNA called L0, which is the oldest form of DNA known to be inside humans. Professor Hayes explained why L0 is important. She said: "Every time a new migration occurs, that migration event is recorded in our [L0 and] DNA as a time-stamp.... Everyone walking around today...comes from this region."
研究人员确定了一个叫奥卡万戈的地方是我们来的地方。那里以前有一个大湖,但现在是盐滩了。人们有水喝,有打猎,有农田。科学家们分析了今天居住在该地区附近的200人的DNA样本。他们来自科伊桑人。科伊桑人现在生活在今天的南非和纳米比亚。他们有很多被称为L0的DNA,这是已知的人类体内最古老的DNA形式。海斯教授解释了为什么L0很重要。她说:“每一次新的迁移发生时,这个迁移事件都记录在我们的[L0和]DNA中,作为一个时间戳……今天在这里走动的每个人都来自这个地区。”