Papua New Guinea fact of the day

An analysis of this ancient DNA, published on Wednesday in Nature, reveals that the genomes of people from New Guinea contain 4.8 percent Denisovan DNA.

And who are they?

An international team of scientists has identified a previously shadowy human group known as the Denisovans as cousins to Neanderthals who lived in Asia from roughly 400,000 to 50,000 years ago…

Here is the article.  It is suggested that the Denisovans are quite distant from both humans and Neanderthals.  Here is the first cut take from Gene Expression.  Here is more, from John Hawks.  And more here.  Ongoing updates here.

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