A groundbreaking genetic study led by researchers from the University of the Philippines, the Philippine Genome Center and collaborating international geneticists has revealed that the Ayta Magbukon community possesses the highest known level of Denisovan ancestry on Earth. The team analyzed genome-wide data from multiple indigenous groups and discovered that the Ayta Magbukon inherited around five percent of their DNA from Denisovans, surpassing even the populations of Papua New Guinea and Australia where Denisovan traces were previously considered most concentrated. This discovery reshapes our understanding of early human migrations and highlights the deep genetic heritage of Indigenous Filipino groups.
According to the research team, Denisovans were an ancient hominin group known mostly from a handful of fossil remains and DNA evidence. Their legacy survives today through genetic signatures passed on after interbreeding with early modern humans. The findings support an evolutionary scenario where multiple Denisovan groups independently reached the islands of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, long before Homo sapiens arrived. This adds to growing evidence that the Philippine archipelago played a significant role in ancient human dispersal across the region.
The study further suggests that Stone Age Denisovans may have settled in Southeast Asian islands as early as 200,000 years ago, supported by archaeological discoveries such as ancient stone tools found in Sulawesi. When Homo sapiens later migrated into the region around 50,000 years ago or earlier, they interbred with the resident Denisovan populations. For the Ayta Magbukon and other Philippine Negrito groups, this resulted in a genetic imprint that remains strong today, making them living carriers of an extraordinary chapter of human evolutionary history.
Science Department | #AncientDNA #Philippines #fblifestyle
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