Denisovan DNA influences immune system of modern day Oceanian populations.

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More than 120,000 novel human genetic variations that affect large regions of DNA have been discovered, some of which are linked to immune response, disease susceptibility or digestion. Scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute identified these changes affecting multiple bases of DNA, known as structural variations, in a study of the most diverse worldwide populations examined to date. This included variations in medically-important genes in populations from Papua New Guinea that were inherited from Denisovan ancestors.

sanger.ac.uk/news_item/deni...

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I have written before of my fascination with the world's First Humans and their genetic contributions to our own and the affect it has had to our own immune systems.

[SORRELHIPPO]

This might input into the reason why, in places like the Fiji Islands there is such a large incidence of Diabetes and Heart problems. Even allowing for them hitting a very "Western" high sugar and fat diet, there is a very high incidence.

I am tempted to ask if the Denisovans played Rugby.