Israeli scientists reveal faces of ancient human relatives, the Denisovans
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem helped paint picture of species which walked the earth with Neanderthals
Israeli scientists have been able to show the facial and skeletal structure of an extinct and little-known group of humans, despite an almost complete lack of bones.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem worked with peers at Stanford University in the US to offer new insights into Denisovans, who walked the earth with Neanderthals and modern humans’ ancestors until around 50,000 years ago.
Archaeologists only discovered the Denisovans in 2008, and only three teeth and the bone of a Denisovan’s small finger had been found by the time the team used genetic analysis to work out what this human group looked like.
Shortly after submitting their scientific paper, which followed three years studying the chemical changes in Denisovan DNA, a chance discovery showed they were right.
“One of the most exciting moments happened a few weeks after we sent our paper to peer-review,” said Professor Liran Carmel. “Scientists discovered a Denisovan jawbone! We compared it to our predictions and found it matched perfectly. Without even planning on it, we received independent confirmation of our ability to reconstruct whole anatomical profiles using DNA extracted from a single fingertip.”
Little is known about the Denisovans, who lived in Siberia and East Asia, but it is thought that their DNA helps today’s Tibetans live at high altitude. Studies have shown that around 6 percent of present-day Aboriginal Australians and Melanesians carry Denisovan DNA.
The Israeli-US team identified 56 Denisovan anatomical features in which Denisovans differ from modern humans and/or Neanderthals, 34 of them in the skull, and posted their findings in the journal Cell.
To get the results, the team mapped and compared the tiny chemical changes in genes in Denisovans, Neanderthals and chimpanzees. Then they worked out what those differences might mean for anatomical features, based on what is known about human disorders in which those same genes lose their function.
Thanks to their pain-staking genetic detective work, researchers now know that Denisovans had much wider skulls than modern humans, with a sloping forehead, long face, large dental arches, no chin and a large pelvis.
Scientists now hope that the discovery will help them understand more about the Denisovan lifestyle and how they survived the extreme cold of Siberia.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
