Researchers from the Philippines and Sweden have discovered the presence of Denisovan DNA among the indigenous people of the Aita Magbukon – the largest among people at the moment. The article of scientists was published in the journal Current Biology.
Their goal was to establish the demographic history of the Philippines. They managed to collect and analyze 2.3 million genotypes of 1107 representatives of 118 ethnic groups of the islands. According to them, the researchers managed to restore the history of mixing modern and ancient people, including the Denisovans – an extinct subspecies of people, whose remains were first discovered in the Denisova cave in Altai.
In one of the groups – the Aita Magbukon people living on the island of Luzon – experts have found a significant presence of Denisovans' DNA. They have 30-40 percent more of this “inheritance” than Australian Aborigines or New Guineans, who previously had the highest percentage of Denisovan DNA.
Probably, the ancestors of the aita magkbukon, upon arrival in the territory of the present Philippines, mixed with the island populations of the Denisovans that existed at that time. However, unlike other nationalities, the Aita Magbukon did not mix with anyone further, which may explain such a high proportion of Denisovans' DNA.
