Study: Pacific Islanders Appear To Have Most Ancient Human DNA On Earth
StudyFinds • • world
Key Points:
- People in Near Oceania, including New Guinea and surrounding islands, carry more ancient Denisovan-like DNA than any other population, inherited from three distinct archaic human groups over tens of thousands of years.
- The Sepik Islanders of New Guinea have 25 times more Denisovan DNA than East Asians, and overall, Oceanic genomes contain about 2.5 times more ancient inherited sequences than European genomes.
- Genetic analysis revealed that long-term isolation and population bottlenecks shaped unique genetic profiles in Near Oceanic groups, leading to distinct evolutionary paths influenced by random genetic drift.
- Some Denisovan-derived genetic variants remain active today, especially in immune-related genes like TRPS1, JAK1, GBP2, and OAS1, suggesting these ancient genes have been favored by natural selection and may affect immune responses.
- This research highlights Near Oceania as a critical region for understanding human evolution, showing that archaic human DNA continues to influence modern populations and their adaptation to local environments.