Did archaic genetic variants help Melanesians adapt?
Wikimedia Commons photo by Kahuroa The Melanisians settled in the area of New Guinea, north and east of Australia. Compared with other world groups, the DNA of Melanesian populations carries some of the largest percentage of ancestry from now-extinct Neanderthals and Denisovans. A genomic study of Melanesians suggests that certain genetic variants inherited from archaic […]
Long strand of DNA from Neanderthals found in people from Melanesia
Many people have DNA inside them that they inherited from extinct hominins like the Neanderthals – and now we know that in some cases it isn’t just tiny snippets but long stretches. Over the past decade, genetic analysis of human DNA has revealed that ancient humans must have interbred many times with other hominins such as Neanderthals. The result […]
Pacific islanders may carry the DNA of an unknown human species: Genetic study reveals ancient Melanesians interbred with a mysterious hominid
Pacific islanders may carry the DNA of an unknown human species: Genetic study reveals ancient Melanesians interbred with a mysterious hominid Islanders in the Pacific Ocean may be may be carrying traces of a long lost human species locked up in their DNA. Today, modern humans inherit a small chunk of our genes from Neanderthals, […]