Modern human DNA carries traces of two unidentified extinct lineages
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Findings published July 31 show modern humans carry DNA from two unidentified extinct lineages in addition to Neanderthals and Denisovans. The hidden genetic legacy points to repeated mixing during human evolutionary history.
Key Facts
- Modern humans carry DNA from two unidentified extinct lineages in addition to Neanderthals and Denisovans.
- The hidden genetic legacy indicates that human evolutionary history was shaped by repeated mixing.
- The finding was reported on July 31, 2026.
Human Ancestry Finding
A July 31 report states modern humans carry DNA from two unidentified extinct lineages in addition to Neanderthals and Denisovans. The two unknown lineages are distinct from the known Neanderthal and Denisovan contributions to the modern human genome. The hidden genetic legacy shows repeated mixing shaped human evolutionary history.
Other Developmental Biology Reports
On July 22, researchers reported that specific brain circuits determine which jobs bees perform as they age. Switching off those circuits caused older worker bees to resume caring for the queen. On June 10, a connectome mapped every neural connection in an adult fruit fly's central nervous system. On June 10, a separate report found Earth's earliest animals reproduced asexually, creating low-competition communities. On June 23, research revealed that royal jelly alone does not explain how honeybee larvae become queens.
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Modern human DNA carries traces of two unidentified extinct lineages
