Fossil DNA points to new branch of humanity

[Eochaidh]

'Denisovan' genome distinct from Homo sapiens, Neanderthals.

From MSNBC.com and LiveScience: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40782329...ience-science/

A finger bone from Siberia now reveals that a previously unknown group of ancient humans once existed there, one neither like us nor Neanderthals.

Bizarrely, the DNA from these extinct Siberians seems unusually similar to that of Pacific Islanders from tropical Melanesia.

The 30,000-year-old fossil was found in Denisova Cave in southern Siberia in 2008, a bone fragment that likely came from a fingertip of a young girl. It was discovered along with microblades (small stone blades used as tools), body ornaments of polished stone, and a molar shaped very differently from those of Neanderthals and modern humans, resembling that of much older human species, such as Homo habilis and Homo erectus.

[Maciamo]

I was about to post it. Here is the BBC article : Ancient humans, dubbed 'Denisovans', interbred with us (interesting title, implying that the author and main audience of BBC News are Melanesian ).

Scientists were able to analyse DNA from a tooth and from a finger bone excavated in the Denisova cave in southern Siberia. The individuals belong to a genetically distinct group of humans that were distantly related to Neanderthals but even more distantly related to us.
...
"There was a western form that was the Neanderthal and an eastern form, the Denisovans."

The study shows that Denisovans interbred with the ancestors of the present day people of the Melanesian region north and north-east of Australia. Melanesian DNA comprises between 4% and 6% Denisovan DNA.

And here is the original article from Nature : Fossil genome reveals ancestral link.

[Mzungu mchagga]

From BBC

It could be just 50 Denisovans interbreeding with a thousand modern humans. That would be enough to produce this 5% of those archaic genes being transferred.

That is too much for my brain. Did they celebrate some kind of mass orgy??? I could understand it if the relation between both parts was about 1/3 or even 1/5. But 1/20?? I don't really get it. Or does it mean that the ancestors of modern Melanesians interbred with their hybrids of Denisovans [sounds all like a sci-fi theme btw] later again?

[Aristander]

I wonder if this will add to the Chinese argument that Asians arose separately from the rest of humanity?

[elghund]

Has there been an attempt yet to see if Near Easterners and Europeans have any autosomal DNA from Neanderthals?

[Mzungu mchagga]

And here's another thought:
Did the scientists take the same modern human samples again they had taken for the Neanderthal research again? As far as I remember it wasn't really much (French, Han, Yoruba, San and Papuan). So if of all those five samples the Denisovan thingy matched only with the Papuan, it wouldn't imply that there are even more ethnicities that could carry some Denisovan [arrgh this sounds so spacey/freaky] DNA, for example South-East Asian, Polynesian, Australian, perhaps even Indian.

[Mzungu mchagga]

Ok, I've just read they used 938 samples of 53 populations world-wide. Still it doesn't say how distributed they were.

[Mzungu mchagga]

Hey, I've just thought about how to transform this spectacular, fanstastic world of different humanities, and how they confronted each other, into an epic Hollywood movie. It should be directed by James Cameron or Roland Emerich. The title will be:

50.000 BC
The Hobbit Homo Baggins is banished from his island Flores because of microcephaly [the other Hobbits have microcephaly, too, but his is even severe]. On the continent Baggins meets Homo Sapiens who tell him that their princess has been kidnapped by the King of Denisova. He wants to interbreed with her, and thus found a new master race [Melanesians]. Baggins takes the long journey way up to Siberia to rescue the princess. With the help of a Neanderthal-Man and a speaking saber-toothed cat they experience a lot of funny adventures [for instance, they invent the washing machine or loose an R'n'B contest against R-Mitochondrial Eve -stunning performance by 'Rihanna'!]. At the wedding the saber-toothed cat eats up the King, as well as all other wedding guests, plus the princess. Leaving behind only the finger of Judy Denisovan and the tooth of Wayne Denisovan. Back at the Pacific Ocean Baggins gets to know that for some strange reason Melanesians have already arrived and populated Papua. They turn out to be cool dudes, though! [Movie ends with Macarena-Song]
Original language will be in spanish, translated and dubbed by Carlitos!

[Bodin]

Hey, I've just thought about how to transform this spectacular, fanstastic world of different humanities, and how they confronted each other, into an epic Hollywood movie. It should be directed by James Cameron or Roland Emerich. The title will be:

50.000 BC
The Hobbit Homo Baggins is banished from his island Flores because of microcephaly [the other Hobbits have microcephaly, too, but his is even severe]. On the continent Baggins meets Homo Sapiens who tell him that their princess has been kidnapped by the King of Denisova. He wants to interbreed with her, and thus found a new master race [Melanesians]. Baggins takes the long journey way up to Siberia to rescue the princess. With the help of a Neanderthal-Man and a speaking saber-toothed cat they experience a lot of funny adventures [for instance, they invent the washing machine or loose an R'n'B contest against R-Mitochondrial Eve -stunning performance by 'Rihanna'!]. At the wedding the saber-toothed cat eats up the King, as well as all other wedding guests, plus the princess. Leaving behind only the finger of Judy Denisovan and the tooth of Wayne Denisovan. Back at the Pacific Ocean Baggins gets to know that for some strange reason Melanesians have already arrived and populated Papua. They turn out to be cool dudes, though! [Movie ends with Macarena-Song]
Original language will be in spanish, translated and dubbed by Carlitos!

This was realy god :):):)

[Carlos]

Really in this so "innocent" world so much interest to want to be Neardhental must have a few interests not innocent at all.

[Mzungu mchagga]

This was realy god :):):)

lol Thank you!
I recall this was somewhen after Christmas dinner and I already had some wine before I made this up.