Ancient Humans Bred with Completely Unknown Species

Denisova Cave
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A new study presented to the Royal Society meeting on ancient DNA in London last week has revealed a dramatic finding – the genome of one of our ancient ancestors, the Denisovans, contains a segment of DNA that seems to have come from another species that is currently unknown to science. The discovery suggests that there was rampant interbreeding between ancient human species in Europe and Asia more than 30,000 years ago. But, far more significant was the finding that they also mated with a mystery species from Asia – one that is neither human nor Neanderthal. 

Scientists launched into a flurry of discussion and debate upon hearing the study results and immediately began speculating about what this unknown species could be.  Some have suggested that a group may have branched off to Asia from the Homo heidelbernensis, who resided in Africa about half a million years ago. They are believed to be the ancestors of Europe's Neanderthals. 

However others, such as Chris Stringer, a paleoanthropologist at the London Natural History Museum, admitted that they “don’t have the faintest idea” what the mystery species could be.

Traces of the unknown new genome were detected in two teeth and a finger bone of a Denisovan, which was discovered in a Siberian cave. There is not much data available about the appearance of Denisovans due to lack of their fossils' availability, but the geneticists and researchers succeeded in arranging their entire genome very precisely.

"What it begins to suggest is that we're looking at a 'Lord of the Rings'-type world - that there were many hominid populations," Mark Thomas, an evolutionary geneticist at University College London.

The question is now: who were these mystery people that the Denisovans were breeding with?

By April Holloway

April Holloway

April Holloway is a Co-Owner, Editor and Writer of Ancient Origins. For privacy reasons, she has previously written on Ancient Origins under the pen name April Holloway, but is now choosing to use her real name, Joanna Gillan.Joanna completed a… Read More

Comments

Don Knox the I… (not verified)    7 October, 2015 - 15:22

There are about 70 million Irish around the world. That Denis O'Van lad has been mighty busy. You just gotta love him. A distant relation of Suleiman (Sullivan).

Alex1Rose (not verified)    28 September, 2015 - 21:38

Where does the whole construct about "Man from Africa" derive from other than Phsy-ops Capitalist destroy our identity ideology?
Petralona Skull goes back 800 000 years.
There is no link or trace of the Denisovans to Africa.
Asian (Mongoloid) have Denisovan (Caucasoid) DNA at a time where there was no link to African Congoloid (West African) DNA
Celebrate the fact that there are different groups that exist in the World (above three) & celebrate our differences & Traditions - less fighting, less war, less arms sales.
If we're looking for commonality, let’s look for it in Morality & religion.
Shocking how Scientists preserve Myths & Fairy tales formulated in the Ivory tower of knowledge aka Universities.

Alex1Rose (not verified)    28 September, 2015 - 21:35

Where does the whole construct about "Man from Africa" derive from other than Phsy-ops Capitalist destroy our identity ideology?
Petralona Skull goes back 800 000 years.
There is no link or trace of the Denisovans to Africa.
Asian (Mongoloid) have Denisovan (Caucasoid) DNA at a time where there was no link to African Congoloid (West African) DNA
Celebrate the fact that there are different groups that exist in the World (above three) & celebrate our differences & Traditions - less fighting, less war, less arms sales.
If we're looking for commonality, let’s look for it in Morality & religion.
Shocking how Scientists preserve Myths & Fairy tales formulated in the Ivory tower of knowledge aka Universities.