Researchers Uncover DNA Contributions From 'Ghost' Ancestors

WHO:

Live Science - Priya Moorjani, a human evolutionary geneticist at the University of California, Berkeley, is a co-author of the study.

Live Science - Yulin Zhang, a computational biologist at UC Berkeley, is a co-author of the study.

Live Science - Chris Stringer, a paleoanthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London, commented on the study.

Live Science - Fernando Villanea, a population geneticist at the University of Colorado Boulder, commented on the study.

WHAT:

Live Science - The researchers found that one ghost lineage's DNA was present in all modern humans, suggesting interbreeding occurred in Africa more than 50,000 years ago.

Live Science - The ghost lineage's DNA constitutes about 0.5% to 1% of the genomes of modern humans, comparable to Neanderthal DNA levels.

Live Science - The scientists estimated that the ghost lineage diverged from the ancestors of modern humans about 800,000 years ago.

Live Science - The super-archaic DNA made up about 0.002% of the genomes of people from Oceania, appearing within regions of Denisovan DNA.

Live Science - The researchers found that one ghost lineage's DNA constitutes about 0.5% to 1% of the genomes of modern humans, comparable to the amount of Neanderthal DNA in many people living today.

Live Science - The scientists estimated that the ghost lineage diverged from the ancestors of modern humans about 800,000 years ago, around the same time Neanderthals and Denisovans did.

Live Science - The super-archaic DNA, on average, made up about 0.002% of the Oceanian genomes investigated.

Live Science - The study revealed that the ghost lineage's DNA constitutes about 0.5% to 1% of the genomes of modern humans, comparable to the amount of Neanderthal DNA in many people living today.

Live Science - The researchers estimated that the ghost lineage diverged from the ancestors of modern humans about 800,000 years ago, around the same time Neanderthals and Denisovans did.

Live Science - The super-archaic DNA, on average, made up about 0.002% of the Oceanian genomes investigated.

Live Science - Researchers discovered two "ghost lineages" of extinct human populations that contributed DNA to modern humans.

Live Science - One ghost lineage's DNA is found in all modern humans, constituting about 0.5% to 1% of their genomes.

Live Science - The study reported that the ghost lineage diverged from the ancestors of modern humans about 800,000 years ago.

Live Science - The second lineage, termed "super-archaic," diverged from modern human ancestors about 1.8 million years ago and contributed about 0.002% of the genomes of people from Oceania.

WHERE:

Live Science - The research was conducted at the University of California, Berkeley.

Live Science - The ghost lineage is suggested to have interbred with modern humans in Africa.

WHEN:

Live Science - The study was reported on July 30 in the journal Science.

WHY:

Live Science - The findings suggest that interbreeding with other now-extinct human groups allowed modern humans to acquire potentially beneficial DNA.

Live Science - The findings highlight that modern humans are the product of multiple species and that "hybridization is the norm and not the exception," according to Fernando Villanea.

Live Science - The study aims to uncover signs of long-extinct ancestors preserved within the genomes of present-day people.

Live Science - The researchers sought to understand the genetic legacy of extinct populations that lived hundreds of thousands to millions of years ago.

HOW:

Live Science - The researchers developed a new technique that does not require DNA samples from fossils to identify ancient genetic sequences in modern human genomes.

Live Science - The researchers developed a new technique to scan and compare more than 500 complete genomes of present-day humans from around the world, allowing them to uncover signs of long-extinct ancestors preserved within modern genomes.

Live Science - Researchers developed a new technique to scan and compare more than 500 complete genomes of present-day humans from around the world.

Live Science - The new method does not require DNA samples from fossils to identify ancient genetic sequences in modern human genomes.

Live Science - The researchers experimentally tested the new method, which correctly identified Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestors in modern human genomes.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 23:18 UTC)

Researchers have discovered that a ghost lineage's DNA is present in all modern humans, indicating interbreeding occurred in Africa over 50,000 years ago. This ghost lineage's DNA makes up about 0.5% to 1% of modern human genomes, similar to levels found with Neanderthal DNA, while the super-archaic DNA constitutes about 0.002% of the genomes of people from Oceania. The scientists used a new technique that doesn't require fossil DNA samples to identify these ancient genetic sequences, suggesting that interbreeding with now-extinct human groups may have provided modern humans with beneficial DNA.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 11:44 UTC)

Researchers have discovered that a ghost lineage's DNA makes up about 0.5% to 1% of modern human genomes, a finding that parallels the Neanderthal DNA present in many people today. This ghost lineage is estimated to have diverged from the ancestors of modern humans around 800,000 years ago, coinciding with the emergence of Neanderthals and Denisovans. By developing a new technique to analyze over 500 complete genomes from contemporary humans worldwide, scientists were able to reveal evidence of these long-extinct ancestors embedded in our genetic makeup, underscoring that modern humans are the result of hybridization among multiple species.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 07:54 UTC)

A new study has revealed that a ghost lineage's DNA makes up about 0.5% to 1% of modern human genomes, a figure similar to the Neanderthal DNA found in many people today. Researchers estimate that this ghost lineage diverged from the ancestors of modern humans around 800,000 years ago, coinciding with the emergence of Neanderthals and Denisovans. Utilizing a new technique to analyze over 500 complete genomes from present-day humans worldwide, the study underscores that modern humans are the result of multiple species intermingling, with hybridization being the norm rather than the exception, according to researcher Fernando Villanea.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 06:06 UTC)

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have uncovered two "ghost lineages" of extinct human populations that contributed DNA to modern humans, with one lineage making up about 0.5% to 1% of our genomes and diverging from our ancestors around 800,000 years ago. The second lineage, known as "super-archaic," split from modern human ancestors about 1.8 million years ago and contributed a tiny fraction of DNA to people from Oceania. This groundbreaking study, reported in the journal Science, utilized a new technique to analyze over 500 complete genomes without needing fossil DNA, successfully identifying ancient genetic sequences in modern humans.