Men who saw the green comet

Govt. College, Madapally, Vadakara

After fifty thousand years through the sky of the earth Green Comet (C/2022 E3 (ZTF) As the passing news filled the media, this was the question asked by a child:

“When this comet appeared in the sky fifty thousand years ago, were those who saw it modern humans or Neanderthals?”

For an accurate answer, we need to examine the history of human evolution. Fossils were once the only pointers to the long history of human evolution, but today genes are uncovering even more subtle and precise evidence. of Spain Atapuerca D. isolated from bones and teeth obtained from a cave in the foothills of Mt. N. A strands are the oldest genes ever found in modern humans’ closest relatives. When these genes were analyzed in 2016, they 4,30,000 It was understood that the Neanderthals who lived many years ago belonged to humans. Based on said Neanderthal genes Using molecular clock techniques The search led the researchers to a common ancestor that lived between 550,000 and 750,000 years ago. The oldest human fossils we have are only 300,000 years old. But it is clear that the genes tell us that history is much older than that. Then one thing was 100 percent sure. Fifty thousand years ago Homo sapiens There were modern humans. If any of them have looked at the sky at night, surely our comet has caught their eye.

It is believed that humans originated in Africa and migrated to other continents about fifty thousand years ago. Therefore, Europeans and Asians may have been among those who saw the comet.

*of various human races* Geographical spread

Now let’s look at the Neanderthals. It is important to know whether they had already become extinct fifty thousand years ago. 2002 Nobel Laureate Svante Paabo ‘s research was on Neanderthal genes. It is a famous book written by him Neanderthal Man: In search of lost genomes. Let’s see what he wrote in it. In 1856, you can read the exciting story of how Neanderthal genes were extracted from bones found in the Neanderthal valley in Germany. A research student With Matthias Krings (Matthew Krings) Pabo extracted the genes of a Neanderthal man who lived 40,000 years ago! Then that too was confirmed. Neanderthals were among those who saw the comet. But the story did not end there.

***Denisovan molars*** – Discovered in 2000 in Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia, Russia.

In the same book, Pabo tells another thrilling story. The story of a molar. A Russian archaeologist in 2000 from the Denisova Cave in Siberia Anatoly Derevianko An Emonton molar found. Genetically analyzed with the preconceived notion that it was a Neanderthal tooth, the molar belonged to a new human species. That’s it Denisovan man. Later studies suggest that Denisovan humans may have lived in New Guinea until about 14,500 years ago. Now a fourth man joins our story. Less well known, known as The Hobbit, Homo floresiensis (Homo floresiensis). They are believed to have lived on the island of Flores in Indonesia 50,000 years ago.

Thus, when the green comet that flew through the eyes of four types of humans fifty thousand years ago returned this time, only Homo sapiens remained. In the next coming?