Posted on 09/19/2019 10:42:50 AM PDT by Red Badger
Israeli team used DNA to design first Denosivan replica
Portrait of a female Denisovan teen. (photo credit: MAAYAN HAREL)
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Meet “Denise,” the first reconstructed anatomical profile of what, until now, were considered the mysterious Denisovans, a group of archaic humans.
She was revealed on Thursday by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The team who managed to recreate her profile say that long-term, their research shows possible strategies that could be taken for forensic applications.
Denisovans lived in Siberia and Eastern Asia before going extinct approximately 50,000 years ago, said Hebrew University researcher Prof. Liran Carmel, who led the study. But exactly what Denisovans might have looked like had previously been anyone’s guess. Since their original discovery in 2008, researchers had only three fossils to work with: a bone from the tip of “Denise’s” pinkie finger, a few teeth and a recently found lower jaw bone. The researchers were able to reconstruct the Denisovan profile over a three-year period by examining patterns of methylation in their ancient DNA.
3-D printed reconstruction of a female Denisovan (Credit: Maayan Harel)3-D printed reconstruction of a female Denisovan (Credit: Maayan Harel)
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DNA methylation is a process by which methyl groups are added to the DNA molecule, thereby changing the activity of a segment of DNA. “Methylation provides ample information on gene transcription,” Carmel explained.
By studying Denisovan DNA methylation maps and comparing them to those of Neanderthals – another group of archaic humans who went extinct in Europe about 40,000 years ago – as well as ancient Homo sapiens, the team was able to understand what the differences might mean to Denisovan anatomical features, based on what is known about human disorders in which those genes lose their function.
“We got a prediction as to what skeletal parts are affected by differential regulation of each gene and in what direction that skeletal part would change – for example, a longer or shorter femur bone,” said Dr. David Gokhman, now a postdoc at Stanford, who also worked on the project.
Carmel said it is very difficult to get an anatomical profile from a DNA sequence: at most, scientists and forensics teams can tell basic details, such as whether the person has dark hair or skin. DNA methylation, however, allows researchers to make much more detailed anatomical predictions.
The team was able to prove about 85% accuracy of their model by using the same methodology to create anatomical models of Neanderthals and chimpanzees, which have known anatomical profiles.
“One of the most exciting moments happened a few weeks after we sent our paper to peer-review,” Carmel said. “Scientists had discovered a Denisovan jawbone. We quickly compared this bone to our predictions and found that it matched perfectly. Without even planning it, we received independent confirmation of our ability to reconstruct whole anatomical profiles using DNA that we extracted from a single fingertip.”
The researchers found that Denisovans have striking similar methylation patterns to humans. They also found that there are 56 anatomical features in which Denisovans differ from modern humans and/or Neanderthals, 34 of them in the skull.
Past research done outside of Hebrew University showed that up to 6% of present-day Melanesians and Aboriginal Australians contain Denisovan DNA. Further, Denisovan DNA likely contributed to modern Tibetans’ ability to live in high altitudes and to Inuits’ ability to withstand freezing temperatures.
Although Carmel said that “using our method directly for forensic application is currently not possible,” because it is designed to study differences outside the variability of modern humans and police would need to find features within that variability, “DNA methylation may provide much information that could help the police,” with forensic data, according to Carmel.
Well 12,000 years ago we went through an ice age among other world wide catastrophes. Civilization never really began until the Old testament work first started 5K years ago.
You're assigning today's environment to that of 100,000 years ago. When you're not the highest predator on the food chain, bad things happen and the average age is significantly less. I have no doubt that early man existed and I think carbon dating proves it. Why growth was slow can probably be explained by environmental conditions, high infant mortality, and a bazillion other factors.
I have no idea who that is....................
I agree. Modern humans developed a “leadership gene” which even today appears in a small, but predictable, percentage of the population. A smaller number with that gene have the ability to be leaders of leaders, and so on. This allowed our ancestors to organize tribes much, much larger than simple family units. This not only strgnthened out gene pool, but combined with out innate capacity for genocide, allowed us to crush other and even more physically robust hominids.
Your chart does not include any reference to the lowering of infant mortality rates in the last 200 years
The population has grown so fast the last few centuries because 5 out of 7 children no longer die before the age of 6.
I don’t know why these ‘artists’ always show cave people and the like with dirty faces, like these people didn’t know how to clean themselves up..................
So...pretty much like a modern human. Thanks.
Denosivan chicks were easy.
The Toba supervolcano of 70,000 years ago is said to have reduced the human population 10 10000-30000 individuals.
#not my ancestor
In 100 years, there would be 5.4 people.
In 1000 years, there would be 41,918 people. br>In 2000 years, there would be 878,582,410 people.
The human growth rate would have had to have been 0 for 90,000 years. It's just not believable.
Yeah, because it took 90,000 years for man to decide to plant seeds. LOL, It’s just ridiculous.
Oldowan Laz would hit it.
Most humans even now live near the sea. 12000 years ago, sea level was 300 feet lower. I would say most evidence of past civilizations has long been wiped out
Oh Denise, shooby doo
I’m in love with you, Denise shooby doo
I’m in love with you, Denise shooby doo
I’m in love with you
Denise, Denise, oh, with your eyes so blue
Denise, Denise, I’ve got a crush on you
Denise, Denise, I’m so in love with you
Oh, when we walk, it seems like paradise
And when we talk, it always feels so nice
Denise, Denise, I’m so in love with you
Your my dream and I’m in heaven
Every time I look at you
When you smile it’s like a dream
And I’m so lucky ‘cause I found a girl like you
Oh Denise, shooby doo
I’m in love with you, Denise shooby doo
I’m in love with you, Denise shooby doo
I’m in love with you
Apology to Randy and the Rainbows
Or the average lifespan.
And no plague or starvation due to other natural disasters
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