Where do we humans come from? This question torments us, and its answer is not so obvious. While much has been said about the Neanderthal branches of Homo sapiens, it is becoming increasingly clear that our evolution is far from being a long, quiet river. It is even proven that it involves frequent encounters with another close relative, known as the Denisovan, or Denisova Man.
ScienceAlert highlights a study published on November 5, 2024 by Linda Ongaro and Emilia Huerta-Sanchez, population geneticists at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), on existing research regarding the DNA of this species. These allow us to understand how our own biology has been influenced by the history of a people about whom we still know very little.
In 2010, a fragment of little finger bone, some teeth and a piece of skull discovered in Siberia revealed a disconcerting new species of ancient human being: Denisova Man. The researchers understood that the remains belong to a previously undescribed group of hominids, which became genetically distinct from Neanderthals around 400,000 years ago, i.e. probably a few hundred thousand years later. that Neanderthals distinguished themselves from our own ancestors.
Understanding of the species, although recent and limited, has hinted at a rich diversity with a genetic heritage that extends from Siberia to Southeast Asia and across Oceania to the Americas. “It is a common misconception that humans evolved suddenly from a common ancestor, but the more we learn, the more we realize that interbreeding with different hominids occurred and helped shape the people we are today,” explains Linda Ongaro.
A bushy human lineage
Village…
Read more on Slate.fr
Related News :