Denisovan DNA Still Shapes Immune Systems of Modern Oceanians
A new study finds thousands of Denisovan genetic variants remain active in the immune systems of some people from Oceania today.
Some people from Oceania harbor thousands of genetic variants inherited from the Denisovans — a mysterious group of extinct humans — that are still active in their immune systems today, a new study finds.
The findings, published June 11 in the journal Science, come from the largest-ever map of Denisovan-inherited DNA ever created. The discovery shows that Denisovan DNA “is not just a remnant of ancient liaisons; it continues to influence our biology today,” study co-author Serena Tucci, an assistant professor of anthropology and head of the Human Evolutionary Genomics Laboratory at Yale University, said in a statement.