I don't think you understood what is being communicated in the link, or here. And the DNA is not a mystery at all; I am uncertain why you prefer to call it that. We know the DNA sequence itself, and even where it came from. Previously unknown does not mean mystery.
Did you want a link to one of the scientific papers that describe, in a more technical way, the isolation and sequencing of the DNA from a bone fragment (the "non existent bone" fragments to which you referred in your post) from the Denisova find:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/337/6098/1028
Again, the point is that they, and the Spainish cave find, are not Neanderthals. The DNA was not collected from either a Neanderthal nor a toe bone. It was collected from a Denisova finger bone (in Siberia) and DNA was collected separately from an interbred hominid species in Spain.
The "mystery" DNA is Denisovan. Once again, that is the point. But if you are not interested in it, why did you bring it up? I agree that it is fairly distant from the main thread topic, but it does illustrates how useful DNA alone can be.
My view is that ChrisBFRPKY has to keep posting ever more amazing statements to move the thread away from the discussion of the previous almost-as-amazing statement. So far, it appears to have worked to some extent: there are a lot of questions for ChrisBFRPKY that we had begun to ask and discuss, but now these appear to have been left unanswered as we instead followed Chris's twists and turns.
The Denisova people are human, they are not a different species.
http://johnhawks.net/weblog/reviews/neandertals/neandertal_dna/naming-denisovans-2014.html
Their DNA is present in modern humans.
Defining species is complicated. Denisova, like Neanderthals, were a potion of our genetic heritage (at least some of us). They are part of the complicated process that led to us. But many scientists would not classify them as Homo sapiens (not same species), even if they may share our genus of Homo.
I'm still looking for the mysterious toe of mystery.
Not that my opinion matters, but I tend to be more of a lumper than a splitter. Even so, I prefer to consider Neanderthals as their own species. In see Denisovans as a subspecies of modern humans or Neanderthals.
I understand now where guys you are coming from. There seems to be some confusion of which "mystery" is being discussed between us. There were "2" mysteries at the Denisovan dig. You're focused on Denisovan DNA and I'm focused on the other "mystery" partial DNA sequence collected from the Denisova find genome you're referring to. Denisovans have to their credit a finger bone and a few teeth from that dig. (maybe some new stuff will be upcoming from Spain)The mystery DNA I'm referring to came from a female Neanderthal toe bone. This little lady was inbred. She had Neanderthal DNA, Denisovan DNA and some partial mystery DNA to her credit.
Neanderthals and Denisovans were different although very closely related. As with modern humans the Denisovans were close enough to allow cross breeding with Neanderthals.
Now here's the important part as it relates to where I'm coming from. In the Denisova find we have:
1.Neaderthals
2.Modern Man
3.Denisovans
4.Mystery DNA sequence
The mystery DNA suggests that the Denisovans interbred with a mysterious fourth group of early humans that were living in Eurasia at the time. Between 2.7% and 5.8% of the Denisovan genome comes from this mystery species.
So at the find we have:
1.Neanderthal DNA collected (no big deal)
2.Modern Man DNA collected (no big deal)
3.Denisovan DNA collected from a finger and some teeth (new addition to the tree, pretty exciting deal)
4.Mystery DNA partial sequence found mixed in with the find of an inbred female Neanderthal/Denisovan toe bone (very big deal)
There is speculation that this partial sequence may have come from Homo Heidelbergensis but the fact is it's still a mystery and we have nothing but speculation so far. As the science of DNA continues to progress, we may have an identity at some point for #4, but not yet.
It's exciting to think about what findings will be made of the jaw bone from Taiwan. It looks to contain teeth as well. If DNA can be recovered, will it be related to the Denisovans or mystery DNA #4? or yet another? At the least I'm expecting to see a skull model based on this jawbone to be completed in the near future. (somebody pinch me)
But what of the Denisovans or the mystery DNA #4 finding? We know both existed. We have the DNA to prove it. But since we are unable to determine any morphological features from DNA we're kinda stuck in both cases. In the case of the Denisovans we lack a skull or other bone that would help us determine morphological features. We can't do that with a finger bone or teeth. And with mystery sequence #4 , we lack a type specimen altogether since the little Neanderthal lady was inbred and only revealed a partial DNA sequence for #4. In short, we don't know what either looked like. As there is nothing else to go on yet. Hurry up and wait all over again.
Chris B.
