A new study presented to the Royal Society meeting on ancient DNA in London last week has revealed a dramatic finding – the genome of one of our ancient ancestors, the Denisovans, contains a segment of DNA that seems to have come from another species that is currently unknown to science. The discovery suggests that there was rampant interbreeding between ancient human species in Europe and Asia more than 30,000 years ago. But, far more significant was the finding that they also mated with a mystery species from Asia – one that is neither human nor Neanderthal.
Scientists launched into a flurry of discussion and debate upon hearing the study results and immediately began speculating about what this unknown species could be. Some have suggested that a group may have branched off to Asia from the Homo heidelbernensis, who resided in Africa about half a million years ago. They are believed to be the ancestors of Europe's Neanderthals.
However others, such as Chris Stringer, a paleoanthropologist at the London Natural History Museum, admitted that they “don’t have the faintest idea” what the mystery species could be.
Traces of the unknown new genome were detected in two teeth and a finger bone of a Denisovan, which was discovered in a Siberian cave. There is not much data available about the appearance of Denisovans due to lack of their fossils' availability, but the geneticists and researchers succeeded in arranging their entire genome very precisely.
"What it begins to suggest is that we're looking at a 'Lord of the Rings'-type world - that there were many hominid populations," Mark Thomas, an evolutionary geneticist at University College London.
The question is now: who were these mystery people that the Denisovans were breeding with?
While on the subject of Grammar, Spelling, etc.
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In reply to indications of credibility. by elizabeth1848 (not verified)
http://grammarist.com/spelling/hear-hear/
grammar Nazis
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In reply to indications of credibility. by elizabeth1848 (not verified)
Many rules of modern grammar are actually meaningless to the content of the writing. There is much perfectly punctuated crap in the world and for the record your conclusion is a ridiculous logical fallacy
Do you want to get technical
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In reply to Grammar by Last Past
Do you want to get technical "Last Past"? You can't toss a piano "down" a coal mine, the angle is not that steep - so you're probably referring to a pit. If you do toss a piano down a pit, you end-up with shattered pieces - I doubt you will hear a musical note. Thanks for the folk-wisdom though!
It's a musicians' joke.
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In reply to Do you want to get technical by malta1565 (not verified)
It's a musicians' joke.
Granted, the wording is more effective when you have it as follows:
What do you get when you drop a piano into a mine shaft?
A flat miner.
Since most modern mine shafts are vertical, the word "drop" or even "toss" can certainly apply.
Also, when your average piano
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In reply to It's a musicians' joke. by Dogsidaed (not verified)
Also, when your average piano is destroyed, assuming it hasn't had its tension let out, it makes a cacophony. There are around 40,000 pounds of force in those strings and when they snap, it is potentially very destructive and dangerous. Again, if the tension hasn't been let out, the strings will definitely make a sound upon impact and if the soundboard manages to survive the sound could be fairly loud.