Denisovan genome entirely sequenced page 1
borealis 7th February 2012, 07:37 PM I find this very exciting. The neandertal genome sequencing has continued to provide data for a lot of interesting insights into modern humans, and the Denisovan genome is likely to be just as productive.
The Leipzig team has now developed sensitive novel techniques which have allowed them to sequence every position in the Denisovan genome about 30 times over, using DNA extracted from less than 10 milligrams of the finger bone. In the previous draft version published in 2010, each position in the genome was determined, on average, only twice. This level of resolution was sufficient to establish the relationship of Denisovans to Neandertals and present-day humans, but often made it impossible for researchers to study the evolution of specific parts of the genome. The now-completed version of the genome allows even the small differences between the copies of genes that this individual inherited from its mother and father to be distinguished. This ...