It was not Homo sapiens, nor was it a Neanderthal. The remains found in Denisova Cave belonged to a group of extinct hominids that left Africa in a different migratory movement than our ancestors. Now, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have released the complete genome of the Denisova hominid, which will serve scientists around the world to investigate our origins.
In 2010, a group of Russian archaeologists found in the Denisova cave, in southern Siberia, some remains that caused a sensation among the scientific community. The DNA sequences showed that it was a hitherto unknown species that was called Denisova’s hominid. Along with the Neanderthals, these hominids would be the closest extinct relatives to current humans.
Two years later, researchers at the Max Planck Institute have developed a new technique that has made it possible to sequence the entire genome of Denisovans in a much more specific way, using less than 10 milligrams of the finger bone. In the previous version, the resolution level allowed to establish the kinship between Denisovians and Neanderthals with modern humans, but it was not possible to study the evolution of specific parts of the genome.
This is the first complete and high-quality sequence of the genome of a group of extinct hominids. Although the scientists intend to publish an article describing their work, the new version of the genome is already accessible for free via the Internet. The reason for sharing their discovery is, in the words of lead researcher Svante Pääbo, “that biologists around the world can discover genetic changes that were important to the development of human culture and technology and that allowed modern hominins to leave Africa and spread rapidly across the planet. “
