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The scientists came upon their findings while researching the purpose and origins of the MUC7 protein, which helps give spit its slimy consistency and binds to microbes, potentially helping to rid the body of disease-causing bacteria.
As part of this investigation, the team examined the MUC7 gene in more than 2,500 modern human genomes. The analysis yielded a surprise: A group of genomes from Sub-Saharan Africa had a version of the gene that was wildly different from versions found in other modern humans.
The Sub-Saharan variant was so distinctive that Neanderthal and Denisovan MUC7 genes matched more closely with those of other modern humans than the Sub-Saharan outlier did.
"Based on our analysis, the most plausible explanation for this extreme variation is archaic introgression -- the introduction of genetic material from a 'ghost' species of ancient hominins," Gokcumen says. "This unknown human relative could be a species that has been discovered, such as a subspecies of Homo erectus, or an undiscovered hominin. We call it a 'ghost' species because we don't have the fossils."
Those Sub-Saharan hominins were horny, baby.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Arik on Tuesday July 25 2017, @02:36AM (8 children)
We don't have any exhaustive concordances of ancient DNA. In many areas we don't even have accurate maps of modern DNA. The null hypothesis here deserves considerably more attention than it's getting. All of these 'archaic introgressions' could easily be explained by the paucity of evidence combined with parallel evolution from a common source just a little further up the family tree.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday July 25 2017, @04:23AM (1 child)
Isolation of populations is used to explain regional difference in everything except humans.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Nuke on Tuesday July 25 2017, @09:16AM
Careful, you were almost politically incorrect.
(Score: 3, Informative) by JNCF on Tuesday July 25 2017, @04:31AM
TFA clearly says "other early hominins" in a relevant context -- so a different source, not the same (Neanderthal and Denisovan) sources. This is not the contradiction you're looking for.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday July 25 2017, @06:34PM (4 children)
What do you think the NULL hypothesis would even be? The DNA either naturally mutated (highly unlikely due to it's size), came from one of the 2 listed predecessors or came from some unknown predecessor (colloqually known as a ghost).
Unless you're claiming aliens, it seems like the "ghost" predecessor IS the null hypothesis.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Tuesday July 25 2017, @07:02PM (3 children)
Their read is that the traits were reintroduced via some "ghost" archaics. The alternative is that it never needed to be reintroduced because, in this population, it was never lost from this lineage in the first place.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday July 25 2017, @07:14PM (2 children)
Reintroduced? Lost?
The article doesn't say that either of those occurred...
They found some unique DNA in a population of humans. This DNA doesn't exist in most other humans. When they traced the origins of this DNA they found close, but not full, matches in Neanderthal and Denisovans. It's not a close enough of a match to be inherited from them, though, so they think it came from a similar (but distinct) group of proto-humans.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Arik on Tuesday July 25 2017, @07:30PM (1 child)
The article is full of this, all you needed to read was the executive summary at the top:
"In saliva, scientists have found hints that a 'ghost' species of archaic humans may have contributed genetic material to ancestors of people living in sub-Saharan Africa today. The research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that sexual rendezvous between different archaic human species may not have been unusual. "
And all through the article, for instance:
""It seems that interbreeding between different early hominin species is not the exception -- it's the norm," says Omer Gokcumen, PhD, an assistant professor of biological sciences in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences."
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday July 25 2017, @08:11PM
Again, where does that say lost or re-introduced?
What is this, some sort of weird anti-evolution angle I'm just not getting?
Your argument makes no sense.