With the ability to sequence ancient DNA,
借助于对古代DNA进行测序的技术,
we now know that some modern humans got busy with each other, Neanderthals, and at least two other ancient human groups.
我们已经知道,现代人和现代人,现代人和尼安德特人以及至少两个其他古人类群体曾经打得非常火热。
Which begs the question: who wouldn’t our ancestors get freaky with?
这就引出了一个问题:什么样的人,我们的祖先才不会和他鬼混到一起?
Hey guys! Anatomically Modern Human Natalia here for DNews!
嘿,伙计们!我是从解剖学来看属于现代人的Natalia,欢迎大家收看本期的DNews视频!
When our ancestors left Africa and trekked into Europe, the Middle East, and Asia,
我们的祖先离开非洲大陆走向欧洲、中东和亚洲时,
they crossed paths with other ancient human groups like Neanderthals, Denisovans and at least one other group.
与尼安德特人、丹尼索瓦人以及至少一个其他族群的人类相遇过。
Apparently, humans weren’t so picky about their sexual partners,
很明显,那时候的人类选择性伴侣是没那么挑剔的,
so they admixed - “science” for got down with - these other archaic humans.
于是,他们就和上述几种古人类“混合”——“相好”的“科学”说法——在一起了。
How do we know? It’s all in the genes!
我们怎么知道的?答案都在基因里啊!
Scientists have been able to find the DNA of these other archaic humans in living populations today.
科学家们已经在当今人群中找到了这些(已经灭绝了的)古人类的DNA。
This love story has four characters.
这个爱情故事有四个角色。
First -- Neandertals.
第一个是尼安德特人。
These hearty hominins lived in Europe, the Middle East and Western Asia roughly 400,000 to 40,000 years ago.
这些身材健壮的古人类生活在大约40万年前到4万年前的欧洲、中东以及西亚地区。
Because they had lived in the harsh cold of Eurasia far before modern humans left Africa, their biology was adapted to that climate.
因为他们生活的时期距离现代人离开非洲的时间非常久远,他们的生理机能适应的是当时的欧亚大陆那种十分严寒的气候。
They had thicker and lighter skin, which helped with vitamin D absorption, a bigger nose designed to warm cold air, and a stockier build to retain heat.
所以,他们的皮肤比我们厚、肤色比我们浅,为的是更好地吸收维生素D,鼻子比我们大,为的是加热冷空气,为了保存体温,他们长的也比我们更结实。
Tres sexy, no?
相当性感,不是吗?
Second character in this love story?
那第二个角色呢?
Well, in 2008, a new archaic human lineage was discovered in the Denisova Cave in Siberia.
2008年的时候,科学家们在西伯利亚的杰尼索娃洞穴里发现了新的古人类谱系。
Scientists found a finger bone with viable DNA and were able sequence the genome.
他们在那里发现了一根含有可提取DNA的手指骨头,并且成功地对其基因组进行了测序。
It turns out it belonged to a young adult female who lived roughly 40,000 years ago and these new archaic humans were dubbed the Denisovans!
发现它属于一位年轻的成年女性,她生活在大约4万年前,这些新的古人类便被称为了“丹尼索瓦人”!
Researchers have been able to find traces of Denisovan DNA in populations as far as Southeast Asia stretching to Australia.
研究人员还从东南亚一直延伸到澳大利亚的大片地区的人群中找到了丹尼索瓦人DNA的痕迹。
This indicates that Denisovans and their descendents may have had a greater geographic area than previously thought.
这表明,丹尼索瓦人和他们的后裔的地理分布可能比我们之前想象的要大。
The third character in this love story?
那这个爱情故事中的第三个角色呢?
Well, that's technically and anatomically modern humans, us.
嗯,确切来说以及从解剖学的角度来说就是我们现代人了。
There's a fourth “mystery” guest, but we'll come back to them later.
我知道还有一个神秘嘉宾,但我们先放一放稍后再说他们。
So, in 2003 we sequenced the human genome, in 2010 we sequenced the Neanderthal and the Denisovan genome about the same time.
言归正传,2003年的时候,我们对人类基因组进行了测序,2010年,我们又对尼安德特人和丹尼索瓦人的基因组进行了测序。
Now that we've done all that, we can compare all this DNA.
做完了这些测序工作,我们就可以对这些DNA进行比对啦。
And the results were shockingly sexy.
比对结果可以说骚得不行!
Scientists found Neanderthal DNA, Denisovan DNA, and that mystery group’s DNA in current living populations!
科学家们发现,尼安德特人的DNA,丹尼索瓦人的DNA,以及那个神秘族群的DNA当今世人的DNA里都有!
This is how we know that many people of Eurasian descent have a small percentage of Neanderthal DNA in their genome like our very own Trace.
我们就是这样知道许多欧亚血统的人的基因组中有一小部分尼安德特人的DNA的,就比如我们的Trace啊。
Natalia, do these “genes” make me look Neanderthal?
Natalia,这些“基因”有让我看起来像尼安德特人吗?
Hm, give or take, Trace percent. Alriiiight.
嗯,多多少少有吧。好吧。
But what were the potential benefits of admixing with Neanderthals and Denisovans -- besides producing Trace, of course? Not really.
问题是,与尼安德特人或丹尼索瓦人混在一起有什么好处呢?当然了,除了把Trace送到了我们身边。其实他也算不上什么好处啦。
When humans mated with these other ancient groups,
科学家们认为,人类与这些远古族群结合以后,
scientists argue that they picked up genes that improved their immune system and helped them adapt to a new environment.
获得的基因改善了他们的免疫系统,帮助他们适应了新的环境。
Researchers found that those of European and Asian ancestry had a higher abundance of human leukocyte antigen genes, or HLAs.
研究人员发现,欧洲和亚洲血统的人的人类白细胞抗原基因(HLAs)更丰富。
HLA is a protein that helps regulate our immune system.
而HLA是一种帮助调节免疫系统的蛋白质。
This is an example of hybrid vigor, or the tendency of a crossbred individual to show qualities superior to those of both parents.
这就是杂交优势,也即杂交个体的品质通常优于双亲的例子。
And remember that fourth mystery group we've danced around?
还记得我们刚刚跳过的第四个神秘族群吗?
Well, scientists have found another population of archaic humans that we got *ahem* friendly with as we migrated into Asia and down into Australasia.
原来啊,科学家们还发现了一个我们在迁往亚洲和大洋洲的路上“相好”过的古人类族群。
This 'Unknown DNA' has been found in populations of South Asians, Southeast Asians, and Australasians - including the population of the Andaman Islands.
他们在南亚、东南亚和大洋洲——包括安达曼群岛——的人群中发现了这一“未知的DNA”。
Roughly 2-3% of this unknown DNA has been found in individuals in the region.
他们在该地区的个体中发现了这一未知DNA大约2-3%的组成。
Researchers think that this new possible ancestor could help explain the shorter stature of people in those areas!
研究人员认为,这一可能的新祖先或许有助于解释这些地区的人身材偏矮的原因!
These new data also support that there was only one main wave of migration out of Africa into Asia rather than two waves as is also hypothesized!
这些新数据也佐证了我们的祖先走出非洲的主要路线只有一条而非假设的两条!
DNA is truly fascinating-- not only is it the building blocks of an organism, it can tell the story of a species’ journey through time and space.
DNA真的很神奇——它不仅是有机生物的组成部分,还能讲述一个物种穿越时空的故事。
Oh. And who they boned.
哦对了。还能告诉你他们和谁开过车。
Admixing with Neanderthals may have been good for our health,
和尼安德特人交换DNA也许对我们的健康有益,
but research shows they were far smarter and artistic than previously given credit for. Check it out!
但研究表明,他们比我们之前认为的更聪明、也更有艺术才能。不信点这儿看呐!
What about you? Would you get down with a Neanderthal? A Denisovan? An unknown human ancestor? C’mon. be honest.
那你呢?你愿意和尼安德特人开车吗?或者丹尼索瓦人怎么样?和那个暂时还没确定的祖先呢?拜托,说实话。
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快在下面的评论中告诉我们吧,还有不要忘记点赞,订阅,收看更多内容噢。