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Asian Ancestors Had Sex with Mysterious Human Cousins

Asian Ancestors Had Sex with Mysterious Human Cousins

Neanderthals weren't the only ancient cousins that humans frequently mated with, according to a new study that finds that East Asian populations share genes with a mysterious archaic hominin species that lived in Siberia 40,000 years ago. This group, the Denisovans, is known only by a few bone fragments: A finger bone, a tooth and possibly a toe bone, which is still undergoing analysis. The Denisovans likely split off from the Neanderthal branch of the hominin family tree about 300,000 years ago, but little else is known about their appearance, behavior or dress. But just as researchers have learned that ancient humans and Neanderthals mated, they've also found genetic echoes of the Denisovans in modern residents of Pacific islands, including New Guinea and the Philippines.

Senh: So we've mated with Neanderthals. Now, it's another human species called the Denisovans. This is beginning to sound like the Tiger Woods sex scandal, with more species popping up as time goes on.

 

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