Denisovans, Neanderthals, and multiple human species intermixed with Homo sapiens. Denisovans discovered in 2010 from a finger bone in Cave del Valle, Cantabria, Siberia Denisovan range stretched from Siberia to Southeast Asia, with a jaw fragment found in Tibet Indigenous Australians, Papuans, and Southeast Asian populations carry Denisovan DNA
Denisovans were identified in 2010 from a finger bone in Siberia's Cave del Valle, Cantabria, their range stretching to Tibet where a jaw was found. Indigenous Australians, Papuans, and Southeast Asians carry Denisovan DNA. Non-African populations retain 1-4% Neanderthal DNA from repeated interbreeding over millennia. Other species like Homo floresiensis in Indonesia, Homo luzonensis in the Philippines, and Homo naledi in South Africa add to the picture. Back-migration even returned archaic genes to Africa, while "ghost populations" remain identified only through genetic signatures.
Key Facts
- Denisovans discovered in 2010 from a finger bone in Cave del Valle, Cantabria, Siberia
- Denisovan range stretched from Siberia to Southeast Asia, with a jaw fragment found in Tibet
- Indigenous Australians, Papuans, and Southeast Asian populations carry Denisovan DNA
- Non-African descent populations carry 1-4% Neanderthal DNA from repeated interbreeding across thousands of years
- Homo floresiensis found in Indonesia, Homo luzonensis in Philippines, Homo naledi discovered in South Africa in 2013
- Back-migration brought Neanderthal and Denisovan genes back into African populations
- Ghost populations identified through genetic signatures without yet finding physical remains
Related site: Cave del Valle, Cantabria — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Scientists Keep Finding Humans Where They Shouldn’t Be by Michael Button