What ho! Darwinians...
You’ve no doubt heard of our super-close relatives the Neanderthals? Of
course. But did you know there are far more species of humans that went
extinct? Yes! Like the tiny Floresiensis (perhaps the source of the 'Fairy' and 'Hobbit' stories?) There were 14 known species of human beings that are no longer with us! According to Scientists these creatures were all out-competed, possibly even murdered by homo sapiens
(us!) and other human speciesor in some cases driven to extinction by
rapidly changing climate conditions (Ooooh! Topical!).
The Peruvian Incas believed that we are currently in the 'Fifth Age' of mankind - with four previous 'Ages' which were each wiped out by a massive cataclysm!
(That reminds me af The Matrix!)
The Peruvian Incas believed that we are currently in the 'Fifth Age' of mankind - with four previous 'Ages' which were each wiped out by a massive cataclysm!
(That reminds me af The Matrix!)
Anyway the recent find brings to the stage the newest addition to the group of known extinct 'humans' who are known as the
'Denisovans', the last of whom lived approximately 30.000 years ago, at the same
time as Neanderthal and modern humans roamed a similar region of Russia.
Their remains were found in a cave named 'Denisova Cave' around 10 years ago, and they were recognized as a new race of humans in 2010. Only a short while ago a group of German scientists mapped the complete genome (DNA sequence) of these extinct human beings from just a bone fragment from a little piece of finger, which was, together with a wisdom tooth, the only found remains of the Denisovans in the cave.
Their remains were found in a cave named 'Denisova Cave' around 10 years ago, and they were recognized as a new race of humans in 2010. Only a short while ago a group of German scientists mapped the complete genome (DNA sequence) of these extinct human beings from just a bone fragment from a little piece of finger, which was, together with a wisdom tooth, the only found remains of the Denisovans in the cave.
 |
| Honey! The Denisovans have just moved in next door! |
With the full DNA sequence of Denisova Hominin, we can
determine when and where our evolutionary lineages diverted and possibly
see what these extinct humans were like. Read more about this
remarkable achievement on Nature.com.
Some Denisovian genes probably live on through interbreeding with
modern humans, since it looks like modern-day Melanesians and
Australian Aboriginals have some Denisovian left in them. More research is being done on a toe bone discovered in 2011. (Amazing what people leave behind!)
Tallyho!
Best Wishes - Lord Noel
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