News Anthropology

African pygmies may be older than thought

Ancestors of small-bodied hunter-gatherers and taller farming groups in Africa may have separated about 60,000 years ago

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

Despite their diminutive size, African pygmies have taken a giant step back in time. A new genetic investigation indicates that common ancestors of these hunter-gatherers and their taller, farming neighbors diverged approximately 60,000 years ago.