paleolithic
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New Study Explores Why Some People Have So Much Neanderthal DNA
A sweeping analysis of European and Asian genomes over the last 40,000 years reveals when and how some genetic exchange occurred between Homo sapiens and our closest cousins, Homo neanderthalensis. It also shows how the Neanderthals’ genetic footprint depended on later exchanges between members of our own species. Neanderthals are an extinct species of hominin…
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150,000-Year-Old Human Tooth Is Rare Evidence of the Extinct Denisovans
Paleontologists in Laos have uncovered an ancient molar that likely belonged to a young Denisovan girl. The discovery is a big deal, as the Laotian cave in which the molar was found is now one of only three spots known to host these enigmatic humans.
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Scientists Have Discovered a Hotspot of Denisovan Ancestors
A demographic study shows that the Ayta Magbukun — a Philippine ethnic group — has the highest known level of Denisovan ancestry in the world. The finding shows that the history of archaic and modern humans living on the islands of southeast Asia during the Pleistocene is more complex than we imagined.
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Surprising Human Remains From Israeli Quarry Complicate Our Evolutionary Picture
Another wrench has been thrown into our understanding of human origins, thanks to recently discovered remains of an archaic hominin in the Levant. The person or people who left these bones behind over 120,000 years ago may have coexisted with Homo sapiens, according to new research.