Ancient Human Married With Modern Human

In its publication in the journal Nature, on Tuesday (12/21/2010), a team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVA), led by Svante Paabo concluded that the fossils of early humans found in Siberia is a new species. They confirmed the differences with other early humans after successfully analyze 70 percent of nuclear DNA and finger bone fossil found in Denisova Cave.

Not only reveals the fact that humans now have a "brother" new, experimental studies have revealed another startling fact. Denisovans, the new types of early humans were, in fact he had crossed the globe to Asia and perform marriage with modern human activities in the area of Melanesia that had been spread in Papua New Guinea and some other Pacific region.

It was known after the researchers compared the DNA Denisovans with modern humans. The researchers say as many as 4-6 percent of the Melanesian people have the same DNA with DNA Denisovans. "We think this is a mistake at first, but this was real," said David Reich of Harvard University who was involved in this research.

With these results, Melanesian people said to have ancient genetic material from two early humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans. Previously, there has been research which revealed that all non-African humans have DNA from Neanderthals, Neanderthals consequences of the spread of population in the past.

Scenario the scientists say, Neanderthals and Denisovans derived from a common ancestor in Africa. Once separate but before spreading to Asia and Europe, Neanderthals interact and mate with modern humans. As a result, all non-African modern humans have genetic material from the Neanderthals.

Meanwhile, Denisovans spread to the east after the split into its own species. They met with a group of modern humans that move toward Melanesia approximately 45,000 years ago. Finally, the two kinds of people that also interact and mate, producing a combination of both genetic material that is now detected in this study.

However, the researchers did not state that Denisovans spread through Melanesia. "What we are saying is, Denisovans mating with Melanesian ancestors. Then, the population of Melanesia who are married fathers with Denisovans it moves toward Melanesia and Papua New Guinea," says Bence Viola, one anthropologist of the MPI EVA.

Reich's opinion, the interaction between modern humans Denisovans and perhaps more than expected. "They must have spread widely in Asia," said Reich. Population genetics research on the people of Asia Minor, according to Reich, can give clues about the distribution and interaction Denisovans.

Rick Potts, a scientist from the Smithsonian Institution who was not involved the research, said the study results may not refer to the genetic mix Denisovans and modern humans. According to him, it could be that there is genetic material in people Melanesia is an ancient genetic material is maintained and is lost in other human populations.

However, Potts has no other explanation of this phenomenon. He simply said, "I am very impressed with this publication. The article could take us far away and ponder. And, this is the result of good science."