US EditionStudy Finds Denisovan MUC19 Variant Concentrated in Indigenous American Ancestry
One in three people of Mexican ancestry carry a Denisovan gene variant linked to Indigenous American heritage, which may have aided adaptation to diverse American ecosystems.
- University of Colorado Boulder researchers report Denisovan DNA in early Americans and published their findings in the journal Science.
- Geneticists note Denisovans interbred with Neanderthals and humans, shaping modern genomes; first identified 15 years ago, Denisovans ranged from Russia to Oceania before extinction.
- Researchers discovered one in three people of Mexican ancestry carry a Denisovan-derived MUC19 gene variant, which appears surrounded by Neanderthal DNA in Indigenous American populations.
- Fernando Villanea said, `In terms of evolution, this is an incredible leap`, highlighting biological and cultural changes over 'over 20,000 years'.
- Why the Denisovan variant is concentrated in the Americas remains unclear, underlining gaps in current knowledge about ancient admixture, Villanea said.
14 Articles
14 Articles
DNA From a Mysterious Extinct Hominin May Have Helped Ancient Americans Survive
A newly discovered Denisovan gene, hidden within human DNA, may have helped the first Americans adapt to their new world. Thousands of years ago, early humans braved a dangerous migration, traveling across vast stretches of ice over the Bering Strait to reach the unfamiliar lands of the Americas. According to new research from the University [...]
First Americans Had Denisovan DNA, Study Shows
Scientists discover the first Americans had Denisovan DNA through Neanderthal mixing. Credit: Fu et al. (2025) / CC BY 4.0 A new genetic study has found that the first Americans carried DNA from Denisovans, an ancient human species that resided in Asia more than 30,000 years ago. Researchers stated that this inherited genetic material may have helped early populations in the Americas adapt to unfamiliar diseases and environments. The study, publ…
Ancient human and Denisovan interbreeding gave Indigenous Americans a genetic advantage
Credit: Tuul & Bruno Morandi / DigitalVision / Getty Images Plus. A genetic study suggests that interbreeding between ancient human species may have given a survival advantage to the groups which migrated to the Americas thousands of years ago. The study published in Science focused on a gene called MUC19. This gene is involved in the production of proteins which form saliva and mucus barriers in the digestive and respiratory systems. A variant …
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