New Findings on Neanderthals and Denisovans Thesis
The closest known deceased relatives of today’s humans were Neanderthals and Denisovans. A bone fragment, possibly belonging to a teenage girl, discovered in a Siberia by scientists uncovers the first found hybrid. DNA evidence confirms interbreeding, which was only hinted in previous genetic studies. Archeological digs revealed that Neanderthals and Denisovans lived in Eurasia, Neanderthal bones dating from 200,000 to 40,000 years old found mostly in western Eurasia and Denisovans bones dating from 200,000 to 30,000 years old discovered in eastern Eurasia
Archeologists discovered a fossil in 2012 in Denisova Cave, named “Denisova 11,†and researchers studied proteins removed from it and over 2,000 other fossils from Denisova Cave, which revealed the fragment came from a human. The thickness of the exterior of the fragment suggested that Denisova 11 belong to a girl, being at least 13 years old when she died, although radiocarbon dating suggested it was over 50,000 years old.