Denisovan admixture

Denisovan admixture is the inheritance of DNA from Denisovans by present-day humans through interbreeding. Its highest known proportions occur in some populations of Oceania, while smaller contributions occur in parts of Asia.

Introgression: The incorporation of genetic material from one population or species into another through hybridization and repeated backcrossing. Denisovan DNA entered modern human populations through interbreeding and persisted through later generations.
Denisovans: An extinct group of archaic humans known primarily from fossils and genomes recovered in Asia. They were the source population for the genetic contributions traced in living humans.
Svante Pääbo: A Swedish geneticist who pioneered the recovery and analysis of ancient hominin DNA. His laboratory produced foundational archaic genomes that made admixture detectable.
EPAS1: A gene involved in cellular responses to low oxygen, with a distinctive variant common among Tibetans. A Denisovan-related EPAS1 haplotype is associated with adaptation to high-altitude conditions.
Population structure: The organization of genetic variation into partially distinct groups within a species. Different Denisovan ancestry patterns may reflect several genetically distinct source populations.
Ancient DNA: Genetic material recovered from archaeological or historical remains, often degraded and chemically altered. Denisovan genomes provide the reference for identifying inherited Denisovan segments.
Denisova Cave: A cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia where fossils and ancient DNA revealed the Denisovans. Its remains yielded the first Denisovan genome used to identify archaic ancestry.
Matthias Meyer: A molecular biologist known for developing methods to sequence highly degraded ancient DNA. His sequencing methods helped recover the Denisovan genome from fragmentary remains.
High-altitude adaptation: Inherited traits that improve survival or reproduction in environments with reduced oxygen availability. Denisovan-derived genetic material contributed to altitude adaptation in Tibetan populations.
Human migration: The movement of human populations across regions and between geographic ranges over time. Migration routes shaped where Denisovan ancestry entered and spread among modern humans.

Linked from 8 pages