Denisovans are currently believed to have the lowest percentage of DNA shared with us.
- Percentage of shared DNA:
- Neanderthals: Between 1.5% and 2% of modern humans’ DNA comes from Neanderthals. This percentage varies slightly between different populations.
- Denisovans: It is estimated that between 0.5% and 4% of the DNA of people living in Melanesia and some parts of mainland Asia is of Denisovan origin.
- Other hominids: Older species like Australopithecus and Homo habilis share even smaller percentages of DNA with us, generally below 0.5%.
Factors that influence the percentage of shared DNA:
- Hybridization: Crossbreeding between different species of hominids in the past is mainly responsible for the presence of DNA from other species in the human genome.
- Mutation rate: Each species has a specific genetic mutation rate, which means that DNA can change at different speeds over time.
- Population size: Smaller populations with less genetic diversity tend to have greater homogeneity in DNA, while larger, more diverse populations have greater variability.
Important points:
- The amount of shared DNA is not the only indicator of evolutionary proximity between species.
- Factors such as anatomical features, fossil record and behavior are also considered important in determining relationships between hominins.
- Research into the DNA of ancestral hominins is still ongoing and new discoveries could change the percentages of shared DNA in the future.
In summary, although Neanderthals have a significant amount of shared DNA with modern humans, Denisovans have an even smaller percentage, making them the hominids with the smallest amount of shared DNA in our genome.
