BBC News: Ancient humans, dubbed 'Denisovans', interbred with us

[shivkala]

So, apparently a newly discovered bread of humans, the "Denisovans" who existed around the time that Homo sapiens sapiens first left Africa.

The ancient humans have been dubbed Denisovans after the caves in Siberia where their remains were found.

There is also evidence that this group was widespread in Eurasia.

A study in Nature journal shows that Denisovans co-existed with Neanderthals and interbred with our species - perhaps around 50,000 years ago.

An international group of researchers sequenced a complete genome from one of the ancient hominins (human-like creatures), based on nuclear DNA extracted from a finger bone.

What's more, is that this discovery came from a fossilized pinky belonging to a Denisovan girl.

The pinky belonged to a girl who lived tens of thousands of years ago. Scientists aren't sure about the exact age. She is a member of an extinct group of humans called Denisovans. The name comes from Denisova cave in Siberia, where the pinky was found.

Is it wrong I immediately thought "Mitochrondrial Eve/Hera"?

[Sindatur]

Wait, is this a New Bread or a New Breed?


Way, cool, it matched up so well, I was expecting an April Fool's Joke

[teacake]

But Sindatur, it is August.

And on the story.

[shivkala]

Sindatur wrote:

---

Wait, is this a New Bread or a New Breed?

Apparently, this new bread co-existed with pumpernickel and rye.

Way, cool, it matched up so well, I was expecting an April Fool's Joke

I took it seriously, but after looking at a Facebook posting and a few articles, I was kind of saddened at the lack of Galactica references (I think the Facebook comments had just one person mention Cylons).

[aelius]

shivkala wrote:

---

Apparently, this new bread co-existed with pumpernickel and rye.

I took it seriously, but after looking at a Facebook posting and a few articles, I was kind of saddened at the lack of Galactica references (I think the Facebook comments had just one person mention Cylons).

That's because it was only 50,000 years ago instead of 150,000 years ago.
Now if somebody had mentioned the crew of the Battle Planetoid Dahak...
If you aren't familiar with the reference read the book Mutineers Moon by David Weber. Very entertaining.

[JarodRussell]

I played the Assassin's Creed series, I already knew that.

[doubleohfive]

shivkala wrote:

---

So, apparently a newly discovered bread of humans, the "Denisovans" who existed around the time that Homo sapiens sapiens first left Africa.

What's more, is that this discovery came from a fossilized pinky belonging to a Denisovan girl.

Is it wrong I immediately thought "Mitochrondrial Eve/Hera"?

It's ironic how life imitates art sometimes, isn't it?

[Robert Maxwell]

I love how it keeps coming out that ancient human species were a very messy business and that there's no clear moment when "homo sapiens" emerged. Just more and more evidence for our complex evolutionary history.