Computational Analysis Identifies Potential New Human Ancestor
A member of the Westbury, NY, community, Valerie Varnuska is a science enthusiast. Valerie Varnuska maintains a particular interest in the field of paleontology.
In addition to dinosaurs and other ancient animals and plants, paleontologists study the fossil record for clues about the evolution of the human species. In January 2019, a new report shed some light on an unexpected discovery made by researchers last summer.
In the discovery, reported in August 2018, scientists announced that they had identified an ancient human specimen that appeared to be a hybrid between two distinct hominid species, Neanderthals and Denisovans. The announcement, the first evidence that these early species had ever commingled, sent ripples through the scientific community.
A more recent announcement suggests that this hybrid may not have been a unique case. Using artificial intelligence and advanced statistical methods, scientists from several institutes examined the genome of a group of Asian people and found strong evidence that hybridizing between Neanderthals and Denisovans was not uncommon. In fact, the interspecies breeding may have been common enough to produce a third, previously unknown hominid species.
According to the researchers’ hypothesis, this interbreeding most likely occurred approximately 80,000 years ago, when hominids began their migration from modern-day Africa. Over the next tens of thousands of years, these migratory hominids may have interbred with other hominid species around the world, creating new species that eventually died out as modern humans evolved.
In addition to dinosaurs and other ancient animals and plants, paleontologists study the fossil record for clues about the evolution of the human species. In January 2019, a new report shed some light on an unexpected discovery made by researchers last summer.
In the discovery, reported in August 2018, scientists announced that they had identified an ancient human specimen that appeared to be a hybrid between two distinct hominid species, Neanderthals and Denisovans. The announcement, the first evidence that these early species had ever commingled, sent ripples through the scientific community.
A more recent announcement suggests that this hybrid may not have been a unique case. Using artificial intelligence and advanced statistical methods, scientists from several institutes examined the genome of a group of Asian people and found strong evidence that hybridizing between Neanderthals and Denisovans was not uncommon. In fact, the interspecies breeding may have been common enough to produce a third, previously unknown hominid species.
According to the researchers’ hypothesis, this interbreeding most likely occurred approximately 80,000 years ago, when hominids began their migration from modern-day Africa. Over the next tens of thousands of years, these migratory hominids may have interbred with other hominid species around the world, creating new species that eventually died out as modern humans evolved.
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