Population collapse almost wiped out human ancestors, say scientists

Only 1,280 breeding humans once roamed Earth, gene study shows

An ancestral human species faced a startling population bottleneck and teetered on the brink of extinction around 800,000 years ago, according to new research.

Early humans were on the brink of extinction, scientists find

Our human ancestors almost went extinct about 900,000 years ago, dwindling to a population of less than 1,300 reproductive-age adults due to droughts, new resea

A study published in the journal Science reveals that the first human ancestors went through a long and serious bottleneck in which approximately 1,280...

Bottleneck nearly saw human ancestors die out

Genomic model suggests human ancestor population bottleneck nearly spelled the end of the human journey before modern humans even evolved.

Our ancestors may have come close to extinction 900,000 years ago

A genetic analysis suggests our ancestral population fell as low as around 1300 individuals nearly a million years ago, but other experts aren't convinced

Why you owe your life to a handful of early humans

Genetic analyses suggest nearly all our ancestors died in a "dramatic event" 900,000 years ago. Only 1,280 survived. And a bit of them is in you.