2010 produced two landmark discoveries that changed understanding of human origins. Sequencing of the Neanderthal genome revealed Neanderthal-Homo sapiens interbreeding and the persistence of Neanderthal DNA in many modern humans, especially Europeans. Ancient DNA extracted from a tiny fingertip in Denisova Cave identified a distinct lineage later named Denisovans. The Denisovans became the first human group recognized solely through genetic evidence. Paleoanthropology had relied on anatomical analysis, but DNA began to outpace fossils. Silvana Condemi, a CNRS research director trained in anatomical identification, initially reacted with shock and skepticism to the genetic findings.
2010 was a seismic year for human prehistory. That year, scientists made not one but two discoveries that rewrote the story of our species. First, in May, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology sequenced the Neanderthal genome and found that Neanderthals, long considered an evolutionary dead end, had interbred with Homo sapiens. Their DNA lives on in many modern-day humans, especially people of European descent.
The second discovery came in December and was even more stunning. The same team extracted ancient DNA from a tiny fingertip found in the Denisova Cave, nestled in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. The results showed that the DNA didn't belong to a Neanderthal or a modern human. Instead, it came from an entirely different lineage. Soon, journalists began calling this enigmatic group of humans the "Denisovans" - after the cave in which they were discovered.
It wasn't just what they found that shook the field. Paleoanthropology, the study of prehistoric humans and their relatives, had long relied on painstaking digs, careful reconstruction of bones, and conservative interpretation. Now, DNA was fast outpacing fossil discoveries, and the discovery of the Denisovans represented a new milestone: They were the first group of humans to be identified through DNA alone.
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