DNA identifies new ancient human dubbed 'X-woman'

BBC ^ | 3-24-10 | Paul Rincon

[smokingfrog]

Scientists have identified a previously unknown type of ancient human through analysis of DNA from a finger bone unearthed in a Siberian cave.

The extinct "hominin" (human like creature) lived in Central Asia between 48,000 and 30,000 years ago.

An international team has sequenced genetic material from the fossil showing that it is distinct from that of Neanderthals and modern humans.

Details of the find, dubbed "X-woman", have been published in Nature journal.

Ornaments were found in the same ground layer as the finger bone, including a bracelet.

Professor Chris Stringer, human origins researcher at London's Natural History Museum, called the discovery "a very exciting development".

"This new DNA work provides an entirely new way of looking at the still poorly-understood evolution of humans in central and eastern Asia."

The discovery raises the intriguing possibility that three forms of human - Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and the species represented by X-woman - could have met each other and interacted in southern Siberia.

[TigersEye]

Ornaments were found in the same ground layer as the finger bone, including a bracelet.

At 38-40k years ago that's as interesting as being a different species.

[TigersEye]

Thank you. That’s the ancient ancestor I want to imagine. ;^)

[TigersEye]

Of course, we don't know if it was consensual.

I think the statute of limitations is 25,000 years. /s

[Caesar Soze]

X-woman branched off from the common ancestor of sapiens and neanderthal 500k years before sapiens and neanderthal split (per BBC). Even if the latter two homos got to humping, their hybrid offspring would be distinct from X-woman.

                  |........................................................ X-woman (48 - 30 KYA)
                 /
Common ancestor |                                          | Homo neanderthalensis (300 - 30 KYA) 
(1 MYA)          \                                        /
(Homo ergaster?)  | Homo heidelbergensis (circa 500 KYA) |
                                                          \
                                                           | Homo sapiens (200 KYA)

Dates are really rough, but it shows how the three species could have co-existed.

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2478820/posts

[SunkenCiv]

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[Little Bill]

Can we reopen the Out Of Africa Theory now?

[smokingfrog]

Don’t you think the “X-Woman” angle is a lot more exciting though?

[Charlespg]

ahhhh

Jean Gray

[uglybiker]

Correction.

That is an EX-woman.

[aNYCguy]

Probably a donation from some lifelong student looking for more grant money so he won’t have to get a job.

Egads, woman. Your hatred of science reeks.

[jessduntno]

“Egads, woman. Your hatred of science reeks.”

Not science...scientists...science is fine with me, young lady.

[aNYCguy]

Not science...scientists...science is fine with me, young lady.

I'm neither young nor a lady. I thought my name would make my gender obvious, Jess.

I'm sure no scientist is losing sleep over the hatred of a know-nothing like you, so I won't either.

[jessduntno]

“I’m neither young nor a lady. I thought my name would make my gender obvious, Jess. I’m sure no scientist is losing sleep over the hatred of a know-nothing like you, so I won’t either.”

Oh...yeah, screen names tell exactly who one is talking to...well...if you ARE a NYC guy, I have news for you...I think NYC sucks. I think of NYC like a rectal itch...thank goodness it is contained in one small area and it can’t spread any further because it is such a nasty hole.

And primarily I think that way because it is full of morons like you. You don’t know me. You know nothing about me. You are a pretentious, preening, pusillanimous pseudo-intellectual troll.

And if you are a scientist, I think even less of you because you know nothing of rational thought, linear process or even worse, you form an idea THEN seek to prove it true. You are - the opposite of a scientist, like most of the pencil necked geeks that are walking around pretending to know WTF they are talking about.

[aNYCguy]

I think NYC sucks. I think of NYC like a rectal itch... etc. etc.

Hey, I understand. Not everyone could make it here. I'll bet you're a pretty big fish in whatever small pond you live in.

You don’t know me. You know nothing about me.

That's wrong. I didn't know anything about you until you embarrassed yourself in public by declaring that science is a parasitic, fraudulent waste of time. And really, that's all I need to know about you to be confident that you're a drooling moron.

[jessduntno]

So, you got nothing, eh?