Scientists Discover a Girl with DNA from Two Different Species

 Scientists Discover a Girl with DNA from Two Different Species

The discussion revolves around the discovery of a new ancient human species, the Denisovan, and how they interbred with Neanderthals. The Denisovan, a recently discovered species, is believed to have contributed to modern human ancestry. The Denisova Cave in Russia, where the Denisovan bones were found, has a history of housing human remains. In 2016, a student at the University of Oxford, Samantha Brown, discovered a unique human bone fragment that was the result of interbreeding between a Neanderthal and a Denisovan. This discovery challenges our understanding of human evolution and sheds light on the genetic compatibility of different human species. The bone fragment was sent to the Max Plank Institute for further analysis.

researchers Sante Pabo and Vivien SLA confirm the discovery of the first Denisova Neanderthal hybrid, named Denny. The bone fragment, estimated to be from a 13-year-old girl who lived approximately 990,000 years ago, was found to have Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA from the mother and Denisovan DNA from the father. The findings were met with disbelief and surprise, as scientists had previously known that Neanderthals and Denisovans mated but had not expected to find evidence of a first-generation hybrid so soon. The researchers further examined the bone fragment, learning more about Denny's age and ancestry, but the details of her parents' meeting remain a mystery. The discovery of Denny's hybrid ancestry is considered an extraordinary find in the field of genetics and archaeology.

Green discusses the unique case of Denny, a girl with mostly Denisovan and Neanderthal DNA, and the implications of her genome on human evolution theories. Denny's DNA sequence suggests her parents were from distinct areas, and she is more closely related to a 55,000-year-old Neanderthal in Croatia than to Neanderthals near the Denisova cave. This finding challenges the belief that interbreeding between Neanderthals and Denisovans was rare, as evidence from Denny and other ancient human specimens, such as OAS 1, suggests that it may have been more common than previously thought. The discovery of Denny has inspired researchers to reexamine other human specimens and reconsider the theories on human evolution and the extinction of the Denisovans.

Denise Harris discusses the possibility that the Denisovans and Neanderthals, two ancient human species, may have interbred but remained distinct for hundreds of thousands of years due to infertility in their offspring. However, this theory is not definitively proven, and other factors such as competition could have played a role in the extinction of the Denisovans. The story also explores the idea that modern humans may be the result of several different ancient human species, including the Denisovans, Neanderthals, and an unidentified fourth ancestor. Recent genomic research suggests that hybridization between diverged lineages is common in human evolution. In 2019, researchers discovered several species of humans inhabited the Denisova cave in Siberia over thousands of years, but it is unknown when they coexisted or if they lived there permanently. The application of artificial intelligence to the human genome has identified a fourth human ancestor, but their identity remains unknown. The story concludes with the acknowledgement that many questions remain about how human beings came to be, including whether modern humans are descendants of the Denisovans. No homo sapien-Denisova hybrid has been found, and it is unclear whether these hybrids were fertile. Future studies may reveal more about the role of Denisovan DNA in modern human ancestry.