Exploring ancient humans
From minimal physical evidence, DNA analysis has given us a clearer picture of what an ancient species of human might have looked like.
The Denisovans (Denisova hominins) ranged across Asia during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic, 30,000 –14,500 years ago. Their morphology has been mysterious.
The first Denisovan was identified in 2010 based upon mitochondrial DNA that was extracted from a female finger bone from a Siberian Denisovan cave. However, the handful of fossils found were not large or complete enough to reconstruct many anatomical details. A team of scientists from Israel managed to predict Denisovan anatomy using DNA methylation maps.1 The study revealed that the Denisovans looked similar to Neanderthals with some subtle differences, such as a wider jaw and skull.
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How many genes do we have?
30 years on from the start of the Human Genome Project (HGP), we still haven’t found all of our genes. The answer has turned out to be far more complex than anyone had imagined when the HGP began.
The HGP (1990 to 2003) aimed to map the DNA sequence and location of all human genes. It was believed that with the sequence defined, the location of all the genes could be determined, but we still do not know the full sequence. While the number of protein-coding genes has more or less been agreed, it has been realized that there are many more other gene types.4
Did you know that...
Did you know that...
Myth-busting in Loch Ness
Environmental DNA analysis was used to investigate a myth in Scotland. A team of scientists led by the University of Otago in New Zealand published the findings of a survey of DNA samples taken from Loch Ness in Scotland in September 2019. This research was undertaken in an attempt to solve the mystery of the mythical “Loch Ness Monster” (“Nessie”) that legend implies lives within the depths of the large lake.
Environmental DNA metabarcoding approaches were used. The results of the study showed no evidence of the presence of any large animals, ruling out the theory that ‘Nessie’ could be a Jurassic-age reptile, such as a plesiosaur. The team also tested for the presence of various kinds of large or giant fish. While there was no evidence of big fish, the research team did find a large amount of eel DNA. The data didn’t indicate size, but shows that there could be giant eels in Loch Ness that might explain the phenomenon of “Nessie”.10