Opmmur
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Oldest Known Hominin DNA Decoded
4 December, 2013
Excavating a complex of caves in the Sierra de Atapuerca, Northern Spain, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, have determined an almost complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a 400,000-year-old representative of the genus Homo.
Particularly one of these sites, the 'Sima de los Huesos' ('pit of bones'), has delivered the world's largest assemblage of hominin fossils, consisting of at least 28 individuals dated to over 300,000 years ago.
DNA this old that has until recently been retrieved only from the permafrost, is related to the mitochondrial genome of Denisovans, extinct relatives of Neandertals in Asia.
The Sima de los Huesos hominins lived approximately 400,000 years ago during the Middle Pleistocene. Credit: Javier Trueba, Madrid Scientific Films
From the missing mutations in the old DNA sequences the researchers calculated that the Sima hominin lived about 400,000 years ago.
They also found that it shared a common ancestor with the Denisovans, an extinct archaic group from Asia related to the Neandertals, about 700,000 years ago.
The fossils are classified as Homo heidelbergensis but also carry traits typical of Neandertals. Until now it had not been possible to study the DNA of these unique hominins.
Matthias Meyer and his team from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, have developed new techniques for retrieving and sequencing highly degraded ancient DNA. They then joined forces with Juan-Luis Arsuaga and applied the new techniques to a cave bear from the Sima de los Huesos site.
"The fact that the mtDNA of the Sima de los Huesos hominin shares a common ancestor with Denisovan rather than Neandertal mtDNAs is unexpected since its skeletal remains carry Neandertal-derived features", says Matthias Meyer.
Considering their age and Neandertal-like features, the Sima hominins were likely related to the population ancestral to both Neandertals and Denisovans. Another possibility is that gene flow from yet another group of hominins brought the Denisova-like mtDNA into the Sima hominins or their ancestors.
Skeleton of a Homo heidelbergensis from Sima de los Huesos, a unique cave site in Northern Spain. © Javier Trueba, Madrid Scientific Films
"Our results show that we can now study DNA from human ancestors that are hundreds of thousands of years old. This opens prospects to study the genes of the ancestors of Neandertals and Denisovans. It is tremendously exciting" says Svante Pääbo, director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
"This unexpected result points to a complex pattern of evolution in the origin of Neandertals and modern humans. I hope that more research will help clarify the genetic relationships of the hominins from Sima de los Huesos to Neandertals and Denisovans" says Juan-Luis Arsuaga, director of the Center for Research on Human Evolution and Behaviour.
4 December, 2013
Excavating a complex of caves in the Sierra de Atapuerca, Northern Spain, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, have determined an almost complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a 400,000-year-old representative of the genus Homo.
Particularly one of these sites, the 'Sima de los Huesos' ('pit of bones'), has delivered the world's largest assemblage of hominin fossils, consisting of at least 28 individuals dated to over 300,000 years ago.
DNA this old that has until recently been retrieved only from the permafrost, is related to the mitochondrial genome of Denisovans, extinct relatives of Neandertals in Asia.
The Sima de los Huesos hominins lived approximately 400,000 years ago during the Middle Pleistocene. Credit: Javier Trueba, Madrid Scientific Films
From the missing mutations in the old DNA sequences the researchers calculated that the Sima hominin lived about 400,000 years ago.
They also found that it shared a common ancestor with the Denisovans, an extinct archaic group from Asia related to the Neandertals, about 700,000 years ago.
The fossils are classified as Homo heidelbergensis but also carry traits typical of Neandertals. Until now it had not been possible to study the DNA of these unique hominins.
Matthias Meyer and his team from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, have developed new techniques for retrieving and sequencing highly degraded ancient DNA. They then joined forces with Juan-Luis Arsuaga and applied the new techniques to a cave bear from the Sima de los Huesos site.
"The fact that the mtDNA of the Sima de los Huesos hominin shares a common ancestor with Denisovan rather than Neandertal mtDNAs is unexpected since its skeletal remains carry Neandertal-derived features", says Matthias Meyer.
Considering their age and Neandertal-like features, the Sima hominins were likely related to the population ancestral to both Neandertals and Denisovans. Another possibility is that gene flow from yet another group of hominins brought the Denisova-like mtDNA into the Sima hominins or their ancestors.
Skeleton of a Homo heidelbergensis from Sima de los Huesos, a unique cave site in Northern Spain. © Javier Trueba, Madrid Scientific Films
"Our results show that we can now study DNA from human ancestors that are hundreds of thousands of years old. This opens prospects to study the genes of the ancestors of Neandertals and Denisovans. It is tremendously exciting" says Svante Pääbo, director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
"This unexpected result points to a complex pattern of evolution in the origin of Neandertals and modern humans. I hope that more research will help clarify the genetic relationships of the hominins from Sima de los Huesos to Neandertals and Denisovans" says Juan-Luis Arsuaga, director of the Center for Research on Human Evolution and Behaviour.
