Science· 2017Q1
Neandertal and Denisovan DNA from Pleistocene sediments
- 476citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2017year
Short summary
Cave sediments can reveal hominin presence, with Neandertal DNA detected in eight layers across four Eurasian sites and Denisovan DNA found in a Middle Pleistocene layer in Denisova Cave, even where no fossils were found.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Cave sediments are a rich source of ancient mammalian DNA, including hominin DNA.
- Neandertal DNA was identified in eight archaeological layers from four Eurasian caves.
- Denisovan DNA was retrieved from a Middle Pleistocene layer in Denisova Cave.
- This technique allows for the detection of hominin presence where no skeletal remains are found.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Although a rich record of Pleistocene human-associated archaeological assemblages exists, the scarcity of hominin fossils often impedes the understanding of which hominins occupied a site. Using targeted enrichment of mitochondrial DNA, we show that cave sediments represent a rich source of ancient mammalian DNA that often includes traces of hominin DNA, even at sites and in layers where no hominin remains have been discovered. By automation-assisted screening of numerous sediment samples, we detected Neandertal DNA in eight archaeological layers from four caves in Eurasia. In Denisova Cave, we retrieved Denisovan DNA in a Middle Pleistocene layer near the bottom of the stratigraphy. Our work opens the possibility of detecting the presence of hominin groups at sites and in areas where no skeletal remains are found.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Science, 2017 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Anthropology
AnthropologySocial Sciences