Ancient humans, dubbed 'Denisovans', interbred with us

[dipsydoodle]

Scientists say an entirely separate type of human identified from bones in Siberia co-existed and interbred with our own species.

The ancient humans have been dubbed "Denisovans" after the caves in Siberia where their remains were found.

There is also evidence that this population was widespread in Eurasia.

A study in Nature journal shows that Denisovans co-existed with Neanderthals and interbred with our species - perhaps around 50,000 years ago.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12059564

[dawg]

1. A few more months of this separation/divorce ...

and I might be willing to go for a Denisovan myself! :evilgrin:

[MilesColtrane]

12. You know what they say, "Once you go Denisovan...

You'll never wanna go Backagain."

[T Wolf]

2. Those primitive types are still with us. They're called GOPsters. nt

[Poll_Blind]

3. Oh, we all know at least some humans will mate with anything.

I, myself, would consider mating with one of our ancestors, at least up to about 1.6 million years ago. They get a little orangutan-looking earlier than that. Still, if she had the wit of Vonnegut that'd be a tough Turkana Girl not to give a second glance to.

That's right: I might totally tap that past! :evilgrin:

PB

[EOTE]

5. You're most likely a lot less selective than your ancestors.

From what I've learned, Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal were of the same species and occupied the same land mass, but it doesn't look like they ever mated with each other, if they did, it was with extreme rarity. I'm guessing our ancestors from a few hundred thousand years back share less in common with us now than the Neanderthals did with the Cro-Magnon.

As for me, yeah, I'd probably tap a Cro-Magnon chick, but she'd have to have a great personality. And maybe catch me a mountain lion or something.

[Poll_Blind]

9. I dunno, I suspect that my ancestors probably came from the Ben Franklin School of Mate Selection.

That and traditional relationship-based sexual relations aside, I think it's arguable that our ancestors would be just as prone to conquest rape as chimpanzees and we currently are. I mean, humanity is always brutal but especially if you walk back in history earlier than the Industrial Revolution.

There is some question about how much the Neanderthal and "modern" humans had sexual relations. My worldview about the past is very much influenced by my understanding of the present which comes back again to the viewpoint that "humans will mate with anything". I'm interested to see more research into the relationship that early humanity had with Neaderthals and find out, genetically, just how much chocolate got into that peanut butter.

:hide:

PB

[JCMach1]

11. The latest genetic studies have indicated quite a lot of hominid interbreeding

including with neanderthals...


Researchers reported last week that a comparison of DNA from Neanderthal bones with that of five living humans indicates that modern humans mated with Neanderthals about 80,000 years ago... http://www.americanscientist.org/science/pub/genetic-study-reveals-human-neanderthal-interbreeding

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/06/science/la-sci-neanderthal-dna-20100507

[getting old in mke]

4. Hmmm

If they interbred with "us" then aren't they, well, "us"?

:)

[Teaser]

15. no.

species isn't determined solely on reproductive compatibility.

[DaveinJapan]

23. Interestingly, that is word for word what many people on Freerepulic said on the same topic. nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. Asians and Europeans all have small amounts of Neanderthal DNA. n/t

[SteveG]

18. we all come from a common ancestor

Neanderthals developed out of an ancestral species that spread beyond Africa, This new species probably descended from that same group, as Homo Sapiens did in Africa. When Homo Sap spread out from Africa much later, we were just slightly more inventive, more gracile (long and lanky) and better at adapting. Basically we stole their lunch. That's what Dem's do.

[lumberjack_jeff]

20. Not entirely true

non-african humans have up to 2% Neanderthal DNA.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100506141555.htm

[old mark]

7. Looks like my uncle Bob.....nt

[WinkyDink]

8. Given my real name, this will surely afford my husband some jokes!

[Motown_Johnny]

10. 3 different species of humans coexisting around 50,000 years ago

and we can't even get our one species to stop building nukes



Maybe the wrong species "won"

[Teaser]

14. Whatever species "won"

was going to be a real bastard.

[Elmore Furth]

13. Kool! K&R

[MineralMan]

16. They must have been hawt!

[OxQQme]

17. Wondering

how they transmit 'booty calls'

[kentuck]

19. If the "scientists" say, it must be true.

:-)

[Morning Dew]

21. Alyson Hannigan is still mating with a Denisovian

or at least a Denisofian.

[Sherman A1]

22. Thanks for Posting

[xchrom]

24. recommend