Study Finds DNA from 'Ghost Ancestors' in All Humans
Researchers used 503 modern genomes and a new method to trace DNA from two archaic lineages, including ancestry found in every population studied.
- Yesterday, UC Berkeley researchers published findings in the journal Science identifying DNA from unknown 'ghost' ancient human lineages within modern genomes.
- Unlike previous approaches relying on rare fossil DNA, this new method—TRACE—analyzes complete genomes from present-day humans to reconstruct ancient genealogical relationships.
- Every modern human carries about 0.5% to 1% of their genome from this ghost lineage, which likely split off from our branch more than 500,000 years ago.
- In Oceanian genomes, researchers identified about 0.002% super-archaic DNA likely introduced through interbreeding with Denisovans.
- Study co-author Villanea noted that "hybridization is the norm and not the exception," suggesting human evolution functioned as a complex network of mixing rather than a simple branching tree.
15 Articles
15 Articles
[SciTech+] "DNA Traces of Two Unidentified Archaic Human Lineages Discovered in Modern Human Genome"
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Joo-young = In addition to Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA in the genome of modern humans, unidentified ancient humans that interbred with modern humans about 50,000 years ago...
Scientists discover 2 new 'ghost' lineages that contributed DNA to modern humans
Traces of two "ghost lineages" of extinct human populations lie hidden within our genome, a new study reveals.One of these ghost lineages left its DNA scattered in all present-day people. The other, a "super-archaic" lineage, dates back nearly 2 million years, researchers reported Thursday (July 30) in the journal Science."These extinct populations may have lived hundreds of thousands — or even more than a million — years ago, yet traces of thei…
New computational technique traces ghost ancestry in modern human genomes
UC Berkeley researchers have identified regions of DNA that humans inherited from two unknown ancestors as a result of long-ago interbreeding among modern humans and at least four other archaic human relatives.
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