Genes inherited from the now-extinct Denisovans are actively playing a role in the immune system of some people from Oceania.

"Pathogens are one of the strongest selective pressures." ...

Malaria is one of the world's most widespread and deadliest parasitic diseases. But some people may have natural protection thanks to DNA inherited from an extinct group of archaic humans known as the ...

A skull pulled from a construction site in Harbin, northeastern China, in 1933 spent decades hidden in a well, then years ...

Thousands of years ago, groups of ancient people made the dangerous journey across the icy land bridge of the Bering Strait into the Americas. They carried tools, traditions, and survival skills with ...

People living in the highlands and lowlands of Papua New Guinea have different frequencies of several Denisovan genetic variants, which may help them adapt to their local environmental conditions. The ...

Thousands of years ago, ancient humans undertook a treacherous journey, crossing hundreds of miles of ice over the Bering Strait to the unknown world of the Americas. Now, a new study led by the ...

A new study shows some modern humans have more Denisovan and Neanderthal DNA than originally thought, and they've got it in a rather interesting place. Share on Facebook (opens in a new window) Share ...

CC0 Usage Conditions ApplyClick for more information. When early modern humans encountered Neanderthals and Denisovans, these archaic humans contributed DNA to our genomes. But how many archaic human ...