The only
definitive evidence of the existence of Denisovans — an enigmatic group of
early humans — was found in 2010. Now, DNA evidence from the Philippines has
traced the lineage of the Denisovans to an ethnic group known as Ayta Magbukon.
The Ayta Magbukon has the highest known level of Denisovan ancestry in the
world, reports CNN.

Fossilized
fragments that proved the existence of Denisovans were first found in the
Denisova cave in the foothills of Siberia’s Altai mountains. The new evidence
comes from 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometres away) in the Philippines.

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Denisovan
DNA continues to live on in some humans till date because Homo Sapiens interacted
with the Denisovans and gave birth to children, in a phenomenon many geneticists
call “admixture”.

This “admixing”
is said to have happened nearly 50,000 years ago after modern humans moved out
of Africa and possibly crossed paths with both Denisovans and Neanderthals.
However, the exact period of the interaction, especially with Denisovans, is
difficult to ascertain.

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The tracing
of Denisovan ancestry to the Philippine Ayta Magbukon tribe has come as a
surprise to scientists because the only Denisovan fossils have been mostly found
in Siberia, with the potential exception of a jaw bone in the Tibetan plateau,
however, genetic evidence ties Denisovan DNA to much farther south.

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Researchers
from Sweden and Philippines stumbled upon the findings while conducting a more generalised
study on human history in the Philippines. The research involved studying the
genetic makeup of 118 different groups in the country.

The
research found that the Ayta Magubon tribe had nearly 5% Denisovan ancestry,
more than Aboriginal Australians and Papuans, who previous research indicated
have 4% Denisovan ancestry.

“If the
results are accurate, then human colonisations of the Philippines and
surrounding regions were even more complex than we thought up to now,” Chris
Stringer, a professor at the The Natural History Museum in London, unconnected
to the study, told CNN.