Human evolution is a complex and fascinating topic that has intrigued scientists and laypeople alike for centuries. How did we become who we are today? What were our ancestors like? And are we the only intelligent species that ever existed on Earth?
These questions have been explored by various methods, such as fossil evidence, genetic analysis, and archaeological discoveries. However, there are still many gaps and mysteries in our understanding of human origins and evolution. One of the most recent and innovative ways to shed some light on these mysteries is to use artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate human evolution based on genomic data.
How AI Simulates Human Evolution
AI is a branch of computer science that aims to create machines or systems that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, and problem-solving. AI can also be used to analyze large and complex data sets, such as the genomic data of modern humans from different regions of the world.
Genomic data is the information contained in the DNA of living organisms, which can reveal their ancestry, traits, and health. By comparing the genomic data of different human populations, scientists can trace the possible paths of human evolution for hundreds of thousands of times, and test various hypotheses about how humans evolved and interacted with other hominin species.
Hominins are members of the human family tree that are more closely related to us than to chimpanzees, our closest living relatives. Some of the known hominin species include Homo sapiens (modern humans), Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthals), Homo erectus (the first hominin to leave Africa), and Homo floresiensis (the so-called hobbits).
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| By Jordan Engel |
What AI Found About Our Unknown Ancestor
One of the most surprising and intriguing findings of AI simulations of human evolution is the possibility of a third extinct ancestor that interbred with Neanderthals and Denisovans. Neanderthals and Denisovans are two extinct hominin species that lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. They are known to have interbred with modern humans, leaving traces of their genes in some human populations today.
However, AI simulations suggest that there is another source of genetic variation in modern humans that cannot be explained by Neanderthals or Denisovans alone. This implies that there is a “ghost population” of an unknown hominin species that also contributed to our gene pool.
This unknown ancestor is likely to have been descended from an admixture of Neanderthals and Denisovans, as evidenced by a fossil of a 90,000-year-old teenage girl from Siberia’s Denisova cave. Her remains were described as the only known example of a first-generation hybrid between the two species, with a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father.
The Controversial Theory of Alien Intervention
While most scientists agree that the unknown ancestor is a natural result of human evolution, some fringe theorists have proposed a more sensational explanation: aliens. According to this theory, aliens intervened in human evolution and genetically modified some hominins to create a hybrid species that could serve as their agents or slaves.
This theory is based on several dubious claims, such as the presence of anachronistic materials or technologies in ancient sites, the depiction of alien-like beings or objects in ancient art or literature, and the similarity of some ancient myths or legends to modern UFO sightings or abductions.
One of the most cited examples of this theory is a mural in an ancient Egyptian tomb that resembles a little grey alien. The mural is located in the Temple of Seti I in Abydos, and shows what seems to be a helicopter, an airplane, and a submarine among other hieroglyphs. However, archaeologists have debunked this claim by explaining that the mural is actually a result of overlapping carvings from different periods, and that the apparent modern vehicles are just coincidental combinations of symbols.
The Hidden Identity of Our Third Ancestor
So who is our third ancestor? Is it a natural product of human evolution, or an artificial creation of alien intervention? The answer may be hidden in plain sight, in our own DNA. By analyzing our genomic data more deeply and accurately, we may be able to uncover more clues about our mysterious relative, and perhaps even reconstruct its appearance, behavior, and culture.
However, we should also be careful not to jump to conclusions based on incomplete or biased evidence. We should always apply critical thinking and scientific methods to evaluate any claims or theories about our origins and evolution. After all, we are not only curious about our past, but also responsible for our future.
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