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Denisovan

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Denisova hominin
Temporal range: Pleistocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Primates
Family:
Hominidae
Genus:
Homo

Denisova hominin is the name given to a species of proto-human that was identified through the analysis of DNA, and announced in March 2010. Denisova hominins are proposed to have lived between 1 million and 40,000 years ago, in areas also inhabited by Neanderthals and Modern humans.[1][2] but are the result of an out of Africa migration, distinct from the migrations associated with Neanderthals and modern humans.[3]

Discovery

A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, led by Svante Pääbo, sequenced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) extracted from the fragment of a bone from a child's little finger found in Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia.[2] Artifacts excavated in the cave at the same level that the bone fragment was found were carbon dated to around 40,000 old. Likewise, analysis of the mtDNA indicates a common ancestor is last shared between Denisova hominin, Neanderthals, and Modern humans around 1 million years ago.[3] The mitochondria DNA indicates that Denisova hominin are the result of an out of Africa migration, distinct from the later out of Africa migrations associated with Neanderthals and modern humans, and distinct from the earlier Africa exodus of homo erectus.[3]

Anatomy

Little is known of the anatomical features of Denisova hominin since the only physical remains discovered thus far are the finger bone from which only mitochondrial genetic material was gathered.

See also

References

  1. ^ Brown, David (March 25, 2010), "Scientists say they've identified new human ancestor", Washington Post.
  2. ^ a b Krause, Johannes; Fu, Qiaomei; Good, Jeffrey M.; Viola, Bence; Shunkov, Michael V.; Derevianko, Anatoli P.; Pääbo, Svante (2010), "The complete mitochondrial DNA genome of an unknown hominin from southern Siberia", Nature, Forthcoming, doi:10.1038/nature08976 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |lastauthoramp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help),
  3. ^ a b c Katsnelson, Alla (March 24, 2010), "New hominin found via mtDNA", The Scientist.

Further reading


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