🧬 On di Trail of di Denisovans 🏞️

⬇️ Pidgin ⬇️ ⬇️ Black American Slang ⬇️ English

DNA don show say di extinct humans bin dey all ova di world, from chilly Siberia to high-altitude Tibet — maybe even for di Pacific islands.

Neanderthals fit don waka commot 40,000 years ago, but dem no dey strange to us today. Their stocky skeletons dey shine for museums around di world. Their imagined personas dey act for television adverts. When Kevin Bacon talk for Instagram say im morning habits resemble Neanderthal own, e no talk say our ancient cousins mix with modern humans wey dey come out from Africa.

But na di Denisovans wey we no sabi reach. Dem na group of humans wey branch out from di Neanderthal line and dey survive for hundreds of thousands of years before dem go extinct. Na because we get few of their bones. For one new review paper, anthropologists count all di fossils wey don sharply identify as Denisovan since di first discovery for 2010. Di whole list na half broken jaw, one finger bone, one skull fragment, three loose teeth and four other small bone chips.

“The bits of Denisovan wey we get, e be like say e no reach anything,” Janet Kelso, one paleoanthropologist for Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology for Leipzig, Germany, wey help write di review paper talk.

Even though, many scientists dey increasingly fascinated by Denisovans. Like us, dem bin get extraordinary resilience, maybe even pass Neanderthals. “I dey find Denisovans way more interesting,” Emilia Huerta-Sánchez, one geneticist for Brown University talk.
Wetin di Denisovans no get for fossils, dem get am for DNA. Geneticists don fit extract small-small genetic material from teeth and bones wey reach 200,000 years. Dem don find genetic clues for di dirt of cave floors. And billions of people for Earth carry Denisovan DNA, wey dem inherit from interbreeding.

The evidence show say na extraordinary humans dem be wey fit survive across thousands of miles and for diverse environments, from chilly Siberia to high-altitude Tibet to woodlands for Laos — maybe even for di Pacific islands. Their versatility rival our own.

“What we don find out about Denisovans be say, from behavioral perspective, dem be like modern humans well well,” Laura Shackelford, one paleoanthropologist for University of Illinois talk.
Denisovans get their name from di Denisova Cave for Siberia, where dem first find their remains. Russian paleontologists don dey bring up small-small bone from di cave floor for years when Dr. Kelso and other researchers talk say make dem search dem for DNA.

One molar tooth wey dey between 122,700 and 194,400 years old contain Neanderthal-like genes. But di tooth DNA different well-well to show say e come from separate branch of human evolution. One finger bone wey reach back 51,600 to 76,200 years belong to di same lineage, to show say e don exist for tens of thousands of years — if no be more.
Since then, researchers don see more Denisovan fossils for di cave, and dem don also gather loose genetic material from di cave floor. Di samples date from 200,000 to 50,000 years ago. One bone fragment wey reach 90,000 years old belong to Denisovan-Neanderthal hybrid, to show say di two groups sometimes interbreed.
Dr. Kelso and her colleagues quick quick suspect say Denisovans no just dey for Siberia. Di researchers see say some parts of di ancient humans’ DNA close match genetic material wey people for East Asia, Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians and people for New Guinea and other islands for di area dey carry.

When modern humans waka commot from Africa some 60,000 years ago, Denisovans suppose dey for their way to interbreed and introduce some of their genes into our lineage. But e no happen until 2019 when scientists find di first fossil trace of Denisovans outside Siberia, for one high-altitude cave for Tibet.

Researchers there find part of one jaw wey reach more than 160,000 years old with Denisovan-like teeth. E also contain proteins with molecular structure wey fit expect from a Denisovan, based on their genes. The following year, the researchers report say di cave floor contain Denisovan DNA.

In 2022, Dr. Shackelford and her colleagues make one discovery wey fit extend di Denisovan range to Southeast Asia, for di path of modern humans in their early waves commot from Africa. For one cave for Laos, dem find one tooth wey reach as old as di Denisovan jaw, and matching di tooth wey dey inside am.

Di Laotian tooth no bring out any DNA, however, so di researchers don start to sift through sediments for nearby caves. “We get plenty DNA,” Dr. Shackelford talk. “But we no know yet wetin all di DNA represent.”

Other researchers dey survey di Denisovan DNA wey people inherit. Di pattern of mutations wey dem don see so far suggest say several genetically distinct groups of Denisovans interbreed with our ancestors. Wetin even more, none of dose Denisovan groups relate well to di ones wey dey occupy di Denisova cave.

Some of di most intriguing results na from studies on people for New Guinea and di Philippines. Dem show signs of repeated instances of interbreeding with Denisovans wey different from wetin happen for mainland Asia. Dr. Kelso and other experts on Denisovans dey suspect say when sea levels bin low during di last ice age, Denisovans fit don waka go New Guinea and di Philippines, where dem live for thousands of years before modern humans arrive.

Put together, these findings suggest say Denisovans dey flourish for vastly different environments. Dem endure di harsh winters of Siberia and di thin air of di Tibetan plateau. For Laos, Dr. Shackleford and her colleagues see say Denisovans live for open woodlands with herds of dwarf elephants and other mammals to hunt. And dem fit don live for rainforests for New Guinea and di Philippines.
That flexibility sharp contrast with Neanderthals, wey adapt to di cold climate of Europe and western Asia but no expand elsewhere.

Di versatility of Denisovans fit don help dem last for long time. People for New Guinea fit don inherit some Denisovan DNA from interbreeding just 25,000 years ago.

Dr. Shackelford talk say findings like these fit raise di possibility say Denisovans and modern humans fit coexist and interact for tens of thousands of years — even though whether dem communicate dey unclear. “Dat one dey really go down di rabbit hole,” Dr. Shackelford talk.

After the Denisovans disappear, their genetic legacy still dey. Certain genes of Denisovans don become more common because dem provide evolutionary advantage for modern humans. For Tibet, Dr. Huerta-Sánchez and her colleagues find one Denisovan gene wey help people survive for high altitudes. She also find say Native Americans carry Denisovan gene for a mucus protein, even though wetin e dey do still be mystery.

For New Guinea, some Denisovan genes dey favored by people wey dey live for lowlands, while others dey favored for highlands. Di lowland genes fit help fight infections. E fit be say high rates of malaria and other diseases make those genes valuable.

But for di highlands, di Denisovan genes wey get evolutionary advantage dey active for di brain. Michael Dannemann, one evolutionary geneticist for University of Tartu for Estonia wey lead di New Guinea study, speculate say for high altitudes for New Guinea, people fit dey face periods of food shortages. “You fit don adapt body parts wey dey use plenty energy, and one wey dey consume plenty energy for humans na di brain,” he talk.

Dr. Shackelford predict say di search for more Denisovan fossils go hard, because di humid conditions for places like Laos no dey favor di survival of skeletons. “I dey beg for bones,” she talk. “But I go still dey want bones for long time.”

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NOW IN BLACK AMERICAN SLANG

💀 On the Hunt for Them Denisovans 🔍

DNA has shown that them extinct homies thrived all over the world, from icy Siberia to high-flying Tibet — and even maybe in the Pacific islands.

While Neanderthals checked out some 40,000 years ago, they still making appearances today. Their thick bones be flexin’ in museums everywhere. You’ve probably seen ’em in them TV commercials, too. When Kevin Bacon posted on Insta about his morning routine being like a Neanderthal’s, he didn’t have to explain that them old-school cousins mixed and mingled with modern humans spreading out of Africa.

But you probably ain’t heard much about the Denisovans, another group of humans that split off from the Neanderthal fam and held it down for hundreds of thousands of years before peacing out. That’s ’cause we got barely any of their bones. In a new review paper, scientists added up all the fossils that we’ve clearly identified as Denisovan since we first spotted ’em in 2010. It’s a short list: half a busted jaw, a finger bone, a piece of a skull, three teeth, and four other bits of bone.

“We got next to nothin’ when it comes to Denisovan remains,” said Janet Kelso, a paleoanthropologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, who helped with the review.

Still, scientists are getting more and more curious about the Denisovans. Like us, they were hella tough, maybe even tougher than Neanderthals. “I’m way more intrigued by the Denisovans,” said Emilia Huerta-Sánchez, a geneticist at Brown University.
While the Denisovans might be lacking in bones, they got the hookup with DNA. Geneticists been pulling bits of genetic material from teeth and bones that’s been around for 200,000 years. They even finding genetic clues in dirt from caves. Plus, billions of folks on this planet got Denisovan DNA, passed down through interbreeding.

All this evidence paint a picture of some badass humans who could hold it down in different spots around the globe, from freezing Siberia to the high-altitude chill of Tibet to the woods of Laos — and maybe even out in the Pacific islands. They was adaptable AF, just like us.

“What we learned ’bout Denisovans is that, when it comes to behavior, they was a lot like modern humans,” said Laura Shackelford, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Illinois.

Denisovans get their name from the Denisova Cave in Siberia, where scientists first peeped their remains. Russian paleontologists been finding bits of bone on the cave floor for years when Dr. Kelso and her crew offered to run some DNA tests.

Turns out, a molar tooth that’s somewhere between 122,700 and 194,400 years old had genes similar to Neanderthals. But it was different enough to suggest it came from a whole different branch of the human family tree. A finger bone from 51,600 to 76,200 years back belonged to the same crew, showing they been holding it down for tens of thousands of years — or maybe even longer.
Since then, scientists been finding more Denisovan bones in the cave and scooping up genetic material from the floor. Samples goin’ back 200,000 to 50,000 years. A bone fragment from 90,000 years ago belonged to a Denisovan-Neanderthal mix, showing these groups were bumping uglies sometimes.
Dr. Kelso and her team started thinking that maybe the Denisovans weren’t just chilling in Siberia. They noticed that some of the Denisovan DNA was real close to the DNA of folks in East Asia, Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, and people in New Guinea and nearby islands.

When modern humans dipped out of Africa ’round 60,000 years ago, they must’ve run into the Denisovans, leading to some mix and match of genes. But it wasn’t until 2019 that scientists found the first fossil evidence of Denisovans outside Siberia, in a high-altitude cave in Tibet.

Researchers found part of a jawbone that’s over 160,000 years old with Denisovan-like teeth. It also had proteins that match what you’d expect from a Denisovan, based on their genes. The next year, the researchers found Denisovan DNA in the cave floor.

In 2022, Dr. Shackelford and her team found something that could push the Denisovan range all the way down to Southeast Asia, where modern humans were making moves out of Africa. In a cave in Laos, they found a tooth about as old as the Denisovan jawbone, matching the tooth that was already in it.

But the tooth didn’t give up any DNA, so the team started digging through dirt in nearby caves. “We got plenty of DNA,” said Dr. Shackelford. “But we ain’t sure what it all means yet.”

Other scientists are checking out the Denisovan DNA passed down to living folks. The patterns of mutations so far suggest that there were different groups of Denisovans mixin’ it up with our ancestors. Plus, none of these Denisovan groups were close to the ones living in the Denisova Cave.

Some of the most interesting finds came from studies on folks in New Guinea and the Philippines. They got signs of mixin’ it up with Denisovans in ways that were different from what happened on the mainland. Dr. Kelso and other Denisovan experts think that when sea levels were lower during the last ice age, Denisovans might’ve hoofed it to New Guinea and the Philippines, where they stayed for thousands of years before modern humans showed up.

All this adds up to show that Denisovans were doing their thing in all sorts of different environments. They was handling the cold up in Siberia, the thin air up in Tibet, and the forests down in Laos. They might’ve even been living in the rainforests of New Guinea and the Philippines.

This kind of adaptability is totally different from Neanderthals, who mostly just got used to the cold up in Europe and western Asia without spreading out too much.

Denisovans being able to live in all these different places might’ve helped them last for so long. People in New Guinea could’ve been getting Denisovan DNA from mixin’ it up just 25,000 years ago.

Dr. Shackelford said finds like these make it seem like Denisovans and modern humans might’ve been hanging out and doing their thing together for tens of thousands of years — though we ain’t sure if they were really talking to each other. “That’s a real deep dive,” Dr. Shackelford said.

Even after the Denisovans bounced, their genes kept on keeping on. Certain Denisovan genes are getting more common ’cause they help out modern humans. In Tibet, researchers found a Denisovan gene that helps people deal with high altitudes. Native Americans got a Denisovan gene for a mucus protein, but we still not sure what it does.

In New Guinea, some Denisovan genes are more common down in the lowlands, while others are more common up in the highlands. The lowland genes might be helping fight off diseases, maybe ’cause malaria and other diseases are more common down there.

But up in the highlands, the Denisovan genes that help out are working in the brain. Michael Dannemann, a geneticist at the University of Tartu in Estonia, who led the study in New Guinea, thinks that up in the highlands, people might’ve been dealing with food shortages. “You might have to adapt body parts that use a lot of energy, and one that consumes a lot of energy in humans is the brain,” he said.

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NOW IN ENGLISH

🧬 On the Trail of the Denisovans 🏞️

DNA has revealed that these extinct humans thrived across the globe, from chilly Siberia to high-altitude Tibet — and possibly even in the Pacific islands.

While Neanderthals vanished some 40,000 years ago, they remain familiar to us today. Their sturdy skeletons are showcased in museums worldwide, and their personas are often featured in advertisements. Even Kevin Bacon, in an Instagram post, likened his morning routines to those of a Neanderthal, without mentioning that our ancient relatives interbred with modern humans spreading out from Africa.

Yet, the Denisovans remain largely unfamiliar. This group of humans branched off from the Neanderthal lineage and persisted for hundreds of thousands of years before becoming extinct. The reason for their obscurity lies in the scarcity of their bones. In a recent review paper, anthropologists compiled a list of all the fossils clearly identified as Denisovan since the first discovery in 2010. The entire catalog consists of a half-broken jaw, a finger bone, a skull fragment, three loose teeth, and four other bone chips.

“The fragments of Denisovan remains we possess are almost negligible,” remarked Janet Kelso, a paleoanthropologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, who contributed to the review.

Nevertheless, scientists are increasingly captivated by the Denisovans. Like us, they displayed extraordinary resilience, perhaps even surpassing that of Neanderthals. “I find Denisovans way more interesting,” said Emilia Huerta-Sánchez, a geneticist at Brown University.

What the Denisovans lack in fossils, they compensate for in DNA. Geneticists have managed to extract fragments of genetic material from teeth and bones dating back 200,000 years. They have uncovered genetic clues in cave floor sediments. Furthermore, billions of people on Earth carry Denisovan DNA, inherited from interbreeding.

This evidence paints a picture of remarkable humans who thrived across vast distances and diverse environments, from frigid Siberia to the high altitudes of Tibet and the woodlands of Laos — and possibly even the Pacific islands. Their adaptability rivals our own.

“We have discovered that Denisovans, from a behavioral standpoint, were much more akin to modern humans,” noted Laura Shackelford, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Illinois.

The Denisovans owe their name to the Denisova Cave in Siberia, where their remains were initially identified. Russian paleontologists had been recovering bone fragments from the cave floor for years when Dr. Kelso and other researchers offered to analyze them for DNA.

A molar tooth, estimated to be between 122,700 and 194,400 years old, contained genes similar to Neanderthals. However, the DNA from the tooth was distinct enough to suggest it belonged to a separate branch of human evolution. A finger bone dating back 51,600 to 76,200 years also belonged to this lineage, indicating its existence for tens of thousands of years, if not longer.

Since then, researchers have discovered more Denisovan fossils in the cave and extracted genetic material from the cave floor sediments. Samples dating from 200,000 to 50,000 years ago have been found. A bone fragment from 90,000 years ago belonged to a Denisovan-Neanderthal hybrid, indicating occasional interbreeding between the two groups.

Dr. Kelso and her colleagues quickly surmised that Denisovans were not confined to Siberia. They found that certain stretches of the ancient humans’ DNA closely matched genetic material carried by people in East Asia, Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, and people in New Guinea and surrounding islands.

When modern humans migrated out of Africa around 60,000 years ago, they must have encountered Denisovans, leading to interbreeding and the introduction of Denisovan genes into our lineage. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that scientists found the first fossil evidence of Denisovans beyond Siberia, in a high-altitude cave in Tibet.

Researchers discovered a jawbone fragment dating back more than 160,000 years with Denisovan-like teeth. It also contained proteins with a molecular structure consistent with Denisovans, based on their genes. The following year, the researchers reported finding Denisovan DNA in the cave floor sediments.

In 2022, Dr. Shackelford and her colleagues made a discovery that could extend the Denisovan range to Southeast Asia, where early waves of modern humans migrated out of Africa. In a cave in Laos, they found a tooth of similar age to the Denisovan jaw, matching the tooth embedded in it.

The Laotian tooth did not yield any DNA, prompting researchers to sift through sediments in nearby caves. “We have plenty of DNA,” Dr. Shackelford remarked. “But we don’t yet know what all that DNA represents.”

Other researchers are examining the Denisovan DNA inherited by living people. The pattern of mutations suggests that several genetically distinct groups of Denisovans interbred with our ancestors. Moreover, none of these Denisovan groups were closely related to those found in the Denisova Cave.

Some of the most intriguing findings come from studies on people in New Guinea and the Philippines. These populations show signs of repeated interbreeding with Denisovans distinct from what occurred on mainland Asia. Dr. Kelso and other Denisovan experts suspect that when sea levels were lower during the last ice age, Denisovans may have migrated to New Guinea and the Philippines, where they lived for thousands of years before the arrival of modern humans.

Taken together, these findings suggest that Denisovans flourished in vastly different environments. They endured the harsh winters of Siberia, the thin air of the Tibetan plateau, and the woodlands of Laos. They may have even inhabited rainforests in New Guinea and the Philippines.

This adaptability stands in stark contrast to Neanderthals, who adapted primarily to the cold climates of Europe and western Asia without expanding elsewhere.

The versatility of the Denisovans may have contributed to their long-lasting presence. People in New Guinea may have inherited Denisovan DNA from interbreeding as recently as 25,000 years ago.

Dr. Shackelford believes that findings like these raise the possibility that Denisovans and modern humans coexisted and interacted for tens of thousands of years — although it remains unclear whether they communicated. “That’s really delving into the unknown,” Dr. Shackelford remarked.

Even after the Denisovans disappeared, their genetic legacy persisted. Certain Denisovan genes have become more prevalent because they offer evolutionary advantages in modern humans. In Tibet, researchers have found a Denisovan gene that helps people survive at high altitudes. Native Americans carry a Denisovan gene for a mucus protein, although its function remains a mystery.

In New Guinea, some Denisovan genes are favored by lowland populations, while others are favored by highland populations. The lowland genes may help fight infections, possibly due to the prevalence of malaria and other diseases.

In the highlands, Denisovan genes with evolutionary advantages are active in the brain. Michael Dannemann, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Tartu in Estonia, who led the New Guinea study, speculated that in the high-altitude regions of New Guinea, people may face periods of food shortages. “You might have to adapt body parts that use a lot of energy, and one body part that consumes a lot of energy in humans is the brain

,” he suggested.

Dr. Shackelford predicted that the search for more Denisovan fossils would be challenging, as the humid conditions in places like Laos do not favor the preservation of skeletons. “I’m desperate for bones,” she said. “But I’ll be wanting bones for a long time.”