Their DNA survives in diverse populations across the world – but who were the Denisovans?
Their DNA survives in diverse populations across the world – but who were the Denisovans?
The discovery of a finger bone in a cave in Siberia some 15 years ago kicked off a race to unravel the mysteries of an entirely new group of humanoids.
Their DNA survives in diverse populations across the world – but who were the Denisovans?
It started with a finger bone found in a cave in the Altai mountains in Siberia in the late 2000s. Thanks to advances in DNA analysis, this was all that was required for scientists to be able to identify an entirely new group of hominins, meaning upright primates on the same evolutionary branch as humans.
So who were the Denisovans, where did they live, and why are they important to the story of humanity?
Around 600,000 years ago, early humans in Africa diverged into groups. Some migrated out of Africa, becoming Neanderthals in eastern and western Eurasia and Denisovans in eastern Eurasia.
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Some from Papua New Guinnea have 5% Denisovan genes and there are some who have 5% Neanderthal genes. I would imagine very few people have both. Denisovan would help with cardio and oxygen, and Neanderthal with muscle mass and power. With their power combined, no mere human athlete could compete.