Modern humans have admixed with multiple species of archaic hominins. Papuans, in particular, owe up to 5% of their genome to Denisovans, a sister group to Neanderthals whose remains have only been identified in Siberia and Tibet. In Papuans, Denisovan DNA strongly and consistently affects immune cells and immune-related processes of potential evolutionary relevance, according to new research. A portrait of a juvenile female Denisovan based on a skeletal...
