A research team in China has published analysis of samples taken more than three years ago from the market linked to the outbreak of COVID-19.
The Huanan seafood and wildlife market has been a focal point in the search for the origin of the coronavirus.
But this is the first study to analyze the biological evidence collected from the market in 2020, the BBC reported.
By linking the virus to marketed animals, it could open new lines of inquiry into how the outbreak began.
The research reveals that swabs that tested positive for the virus also contained genetic material from wild animals.
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Studies reveal that COVID originated from a market in Wuhan where wild animal meat was sold
Some scientists say this is further evidence that the disease was first transmitted from an infected animal to a human.
But others have urged caution in interpreting the findings, and it remains unclear why it took three years for the genetic content of the samples to become public.
Another theory centers on the suggestion that the virus was accidentally leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan.
The investigation shows that samples taken from the area where the animals were being sold had tested positive for the virus. But the Chinese researchers said their findings were not enough to provide accurate evidence of how the spread began.
However, it adds that the virus was brought to the market by an infected person.
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German intelligence "believed COVID started in a lab"
The revelations come as the theory that the virus originated in a laboratory is gaining traction with US authorities.
The Chinese government has strongly denied suggestions that the virus originated in a lab, but the FBI now believes this scenario "is the most likely."
