The Denisovans (20)

Question 1

Define culture

Answer 1

anything that is learned i.e. hunting techniques

Question 2

Define cultural evolution

Answer 2

cultural development that occurs as a means of overcoming environment and other challenges

Question 3

What did mtDNA reveal of fossil

Answer 3

• that mitochondrial DNA recovered from finger not Neanderthal nor modern human
• Distinct group of hominins= Denisovans

Question 4

how do bases differ b/w neanderthals, humans and denisovans

Answer 4

• mtDNA of Neanderthals different from modern humans by average of 202 bases
  o Denisovans fossil differed from modern humans by 385 bases= enabled scientists to calculate most recent ancestor of Neanderthals, Denisovans and modern humans lived about 1 million years ago

Question 5

Link with Melanesians and aboriginal people

Answer 5

• Denisovan genes= 5% of genome of living Melanesians
  o // must have bred with ancestors of modern Melanesians
  o unlikely to have occurred at Denisova // may have lived over considerable area of eastern Asia
  Aboriginal Australian people= also shown to have Denisovan ancestry

Question 6

What species are they most like

Answer 6

neanderthal