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?
Comments
theyare talking about
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theyare talking about homosapiens breeding with an unknown species and you're worried about grammar wtf
"Knowledge is a matter of
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In reply to growth of Everest by Don Knox the I… (not verified)
"Knowledge is a matter of fact" - like manmade climate change? Who's facts? Such arrogance is amazing. Enjoy your leeches. . . Science today is nothing more than a tool for political expediency. You like facts? Most of the most brilliant, honest, and world changing scientists were in fact Christians. Darwin messed everything up and the quasi scientist jumped on the bandwagon claiming it as fact. All the while ignoring what Crick proved (evolution only works in reverse). Nothing is added to the existing subject, only removed (the wings lost when not needed, but already written into the DNA) - that is NOT evolution!
growth of Everest
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In reply to on a very loosely generated by Pittbul (not verified)
Height is a relative term. If the ocean floor deepens does that make Everest higher without Everest doing anything? As for the Bible (and any of the multitude of other literary creations); Religion is a matter of opinion, Knowledge is a matter of fact.
Questions answered
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In reply to on a very loosely generated by Pittbul (not verified)
Everest's current average growth rate does not preclude earlier periods of faster growth. In fact, I think we all accept that abrupt and violent changes are the basic nature of geographical processes.
As for the question of where did all that water come from to make the Flood, well, recent discoveries suggest there is more than enough water beneath the mantle: http://www.jpattitude.com/140328.php. How that water was abruptly brought forth from so far underground, and then drained back away again, is a puzzle, admittedly.
on a very loosely generated
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on a very loosely generated average the ocean floor is about 2 to 3 miles deep.
Mount Everest is about 5.5 miles high and Mount Ararat is about 2.5 miles high.
If the world was flooded by 6 days and 7 nights of rain, how did the globe's water supply rise to 5 miles above where it is and then resend back down to where it is all within a week, month, year?
How did that much water appear on earth then evaporate away in such a short time.
Mount Everest is 5.4979 miles high
And it is growing at a rate of 2.4 inches per year as the two land masses are colliding into each other.
So how long would it take a mountain to rise to 5.4979 miles high while growing at a rate of 2.4 inches per year.
There are 63,360 inches in a mile times 5.4979 equals 348,347 inches high
Mount Everest is 348,347 inches high growing at a rate of 2.4 inches per year so I divide 2.4 into 348,347 inches to come up with 145,144 years.
It has taken Everest 145,144 years to go from sea level to it's current height.
But according to believers of the bible, the world is only 6,500 years old.