The Human Remains No One Can Identify

A DNA mystery deepens — alongside Stonehenge clues and a breakthrough in early evolution.

View in Browser  DIGITAL ISSUES GEAR REVIEWS SUBSCRIBE The Story We Can't Stop Thinking About  The people who disappeared. About 6,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers settled in what's now Colombia's Bogotá Altiplano. They farmed, built communities, and then ... just vanished. At least, genetically speaking. While ancient DNA reveals a population with ties to Chibchan-speaking groups in Panama, there are no clear descendants among modern Indigenous Colombians. It's a bizarre gap in the Americas' genetic timeline, leading us to wonder: How does an entire people just disappear from the record? —Andrew Daniels, Director of News Human Remains with No DNA Matches If they have no ancestors or descendants, then who are they? Read More The Puzzle of Eukaryogenesis One of biology's greatest mysteries: how complex cells first emerged. Read More We Didn't Expect This—The Benchmade Bugout 535 Is Marked Down Right Now Save nearly 20% on this sleek and lightweight EDC knife on Amazon. Read More Stonehenge and the "Fingerprint" Discovery New findings spark fresh questions about mystical origins. Read More Meet a Tiny Apelike Human Ancestor Fossils of three-foot-tall "ape-men" stunned researchers, and islanders insist they still roam the mountains. Read More Inside the Ghent Spanish Castle Archaeologists uncover history hidden in stone. Read More Need Assistance? Contact Us. Follow Us Unsubscribe | Manage Preferences | Privacy Notice | CA Notice at Collection Popular Mechanics is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2026 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779