Scientists Discover Hidden 'Ghost' Ancestors in Human DNA

WHO:

Euronews - Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, including doctoral student Yulin Zhang and postdoctoral researcher Arjun Biddanda from Johns Hopkins University.

Science Daily - Modern humans.

WHAT:

Euronews - Researchers identified stretches of DNA in modern human genomes from previously unknown ancestors, referred to as "ghost ancestors."

Euronews - The genes inherited from one of these ancestors account for around 1% of the DNA of all humans.

Euronews - The second ancestor, described as a "super-archaic ancestor," branched off from other hominins around 1.8 million years ago.

Science Daily - Modern humans carry DNA from two mysterious extinct lineages in addition to Neanderthals and Denisovans.

WHERE:

Euronews - The interbreeding of one ancestor occurred in Africa, while the second ancestor interbred in Eurasia.

WHEN:

Euronews - The first unknown ancestor interbred with the forebears of modern humans more than 50,000 years ago.

Euronews - The second ancestor branched off around 1.8 million years ago and interbred with Denisovans more than 200,000 years ago.

WHY:

Euronews - The discovery suggests that human evolution involved repeated mixing among different human groups, challenging the traditional view of a branching family tree.

HOW:

Euronews - Researchers used ancient DNA from Neanderthals and Denisovans along with new genealogical methods to identify and map the relevant DNA segments in modern human genomes.

(UPDATED August 1, 2026 19:23 UTC)

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, along with a postdoctoral researcher from Johns Hopkins University, have identified stretches of DNA in modern humans that come from previously unknown ancestors, dubbed "ghost ancestors." These findings reveal that one of these ancestors contributed about 1% of the DNA in all humans, with interbreeding occurring in Africa over 50,000 years ago, while a second "super-archaic ancestor" branched off around 1.8 million years ago and interbred with Denisovans more than 200,000 years ago. This discovery challenges the traditional view of human evolution as a simple branching tree, suggesting instead that it involved repeated mixing among different human groups, and researchers utilized ancient DNA from Neanderthals and Denisovans along with new genealogical methods to map these DNA segments.