DNA tracks mysterious Denisovans to Chinese cave, just before modern humans showed up

In a new paper in Science, archaeologist Dongju Zhang's research team reports the first Denisovan ancient DNA found outside Denisova Cave: mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gleaned not from fossils, but from the cave sediments themselves. Precise dates show the Denisovans took shelter in the cave 100,000 years and 60,000 years ago, and possibly as recently as 45,000 years ago, when modern humans were flowing into eastern Asia.
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producer/editor
Aurélie Beatley
supervising producer
Joel Goldberg
animations/illustrations
Aurélie Beatley
script by
Joel Goldberg
special thanks
Laura Zahn
Elizabeth Culotta
Ann Gibbons
photos
Dongju Zhang
video
Dongju Zhang
Denisovan portrait
Maayan Harel/Copyright Maayan Harel, Maayan Visuals
music
"Tibetan Monk" by Pondtunez/Pond5
original research
D. Zhang et al., Science 2020
DOI: 10.1126/science.abb6320

[@TheCJUN]

Would be so cool if we ever found a Denisovan skeleton and especially cranium. Just to know some more about their appearance.

[@noahbrown2100]

Great news! We did a couple days ago!

[@76rjackson]

Would be cooler to find a live one.

[@MichaelBobb22]

THIS IS WHY TIBETANS CAN BREATH IN HIGH ALTITUDE!!!

[@forestdwellerresearch6593]

Denisovans have to be the most fascinating of our ancestors! I mean...what they found in that one cave already....world's oldest bone needle, an amazing bracelet thought impossible to make, the Neanderthal/Denisovan individual with 50% DNA of each.... I have my own theory about that bracelet or other objects. It was asked how could they have drilled holes in such materials that look like it was done by industrial drilling? Actually there are good examples of primitive drilling technique such as fire drills and pumps. Requires a bit more patience then a power drill but if anything is abundantly clear it is that our ancestors were very patient and dedicated.

[@scott98390]

I love this animation style.

[@Foolishem]

Beautiful production. Well done.

[@rexmundi3108]

So much of what we do not know is still there to be found.

[@RhodeIslandWildlife]

Interesting vid, nice graphix, thank you.

[@colingeer479]

"If I say Denisovans differently from everyone else, I'll seem much more intelligent." Give me strength!

[@sarah-jaynemcdonald2594]

It's actually how it is pronounced. Just the same as neanderthal is pronounced neandertal.

[@sarah-jaynemcdonald2594]

How do they k ow the didn't start in Australia and work up to the cave?

[@teresafernandez9849]

The Aboriginals of Australia r from Asia/Polinesia/Oceana. They identity as Afro, and they have the right to identify with whoever they want, but it doesn't change their genetics.

[@evandean3944]

Tibetan cave, not Chinese. That said, thank you for this brief, simplified version of the story. One question, did the writer choose to say that "Denisovans spread their DNA" simply to avoid the dreaded passive voice? If so, I think this is a place where passive voice is better suited. To place it in the active is to imply that Denisovans were on the "giving end" of the DNA transfer, rather than the receiving, or a mix of both (to put it as tactfully as I can).

[@liran547]

get a life bro

[@evandean3944]

Do you have a spare? Or know where I can score one, pretty cheap?

[@Grancoral_Bio]

Denisovans and Neanderthals were humans too!

[@yourhuckleberry6757]

NLM

[@MiamiPush2theLimit]

No they weren’t.

[@gleefully4965]

Yeah they were/are....unless you're implying we humans are partially unhuman if so.....we aren't human....just partially.

[@markwrede8878]

I wonder whether the home turf of Denisovans might not have been the lost continent surrounding Indonesia when sea levels were lower.

[@teresafernandez9849]

At last! Someone that finds that story very plausible. Don't know if it was a full continent, but they are finding lrg land mass under sea with structures. There is a theory that Noah is just one story, when the great flood came, many dispersed in sea fairing boats. They scattered, thus the common roots of language and religion. Thus the out of place objects found in other continents. This makes more sense to me than any other theory. Survival of the fittest.

[@khawa]

Tibetan cave not a Chinese cave. The EPAS1 allele - a superathlete gene from the Denisovans enables Tibetan people, not Chinese people to breathe easily at such an altitude. Science is about truth, so it's crucial to correctly label the regions from where this DNA is found as well-Tibetan Cave!

[@sharkboss]

واو هذا رائع

[@greencase]

They were the dwemers.

[@brainretardant]

I'm hearing stone records of the dropa in this video

[@brada1803]

Any papers will be published in this political climate (global warming and all)

[@freedomforever1962]

You think?

[@acho5424]

To call it a Chinese cave is factually incorrect.

[@karinschultz5409]

Agreed! It's in Tibet, but China likes to believe that its okay to invade countries not their own. And not too long ago the Chinese thought that they were descendant from H. erectus until genetic data proved them wrong; they were recent immigrants from Africa like the rest of us H. sapiens.

[@tenzinjamyanggg7096]

Chinese will b Chinese 😂😂😂😂

[@OracleofOcala]

@@karinschultz5409 to be fair, they did isolate and selectively breed themselves. and we do share lineage with the erectus.

[@liran547]

@@karinschultz5409 Tibet is a provence of China, last time i checked, leave your opinion to yourself and focus on the topic, for the sick of this exciting find

[@reinforcer9000]

@@liran547 are you mad? Why are you so defensive? Fuck the CCP :)

[@ShutterKnack]

Tibet is not Chinese

[@importantname]

interesting, but of what use for the future?

[@miquelescribanoivars5049]

You forgot the part in which they mentioned Denisovan genome is still found in modern humans? The more we know about them the better we understand ourselves, and the better we understand the lingering effects of their extant DNA.

[@experienceanimation217]

How they went extinct and how we learn from that, and if they're connected at all to ancient stories & mythology. And a better understanding of the human genome, there is quite alot we can gain from that to improve our future

[@biologyevolution9989]

Curiousness. Remember people didn't knew what research on atoms could benefit. Now because of that, the device now your typing with was invented.

[@octavia7408]

Understanding genes especially in the Asian part, like Southeast Asians genes are not researched as much as others. Melanesians for example have natural blonde hair and they have around 3% of Denisovan genes in them. I think that's very fascinating.

[@zzzzzz69]

so future generations know more about their origins than we?

[@secularsunshine9036]

*Let the Sunshine In.* “E pluribus Unum"

[@sundararajureddi8303]

I thought they were identified from proteins not DNA.

[@joltjolt5060]

Poor scared things hiding in caves. Scared of invaders.

[@SolaceEasy]

Oof. "Literal". Hand to forehead.

[@garychynne1377]

evolution

[@danielteegarden8982]

OLD NEWS !

[@BashiyrDouglas]

We are Global Indigenous people!! Love and Unity is the best key for us all together!!💯Also Giving thanks to the Great Mother's/Goddesses and Great Father's/Gods and the Ancestors and Guardians!! Saying from Snefer aka Bashiyr!!👸🏿🤴🏿

[@teresafernandez9849]

There is NO Afro DNA in the Americas first inhabitants, there are several ancient human fossils of the Americas first inhabitants, they looked hard for it, but NADA, ZERO, ZILTCH. I am from 2 tribes and I don't have Afro DNA. However the Americas first inhabitants do carry some Denisovan DNA. I, and many ppl, including many good scientists, don't buy the out of Africa theory and considering that there is little or NO Denisovan DNA in Africa, makes one wonder, what is the truth!

[@teresafernandez9849]

Sorry, but lots of good scientists don't buy the out of Africa theory anymore. It's looking more and more, since DNA and carbon dating, that it's probably not tru.