doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61661-w
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#papua new guineans
Genetic studies show that Papua New Guineans have close ties to Asians, shaped by isolation, environmental adaptations, and inheritance from an extinct human group called the Denisovans
Papua New Guineans are a living example of how isolation on remote islands, ancient genetic admixtures, and living in unique environments can preserve a unique human history.
A group of European scientists used artificial intelligence (AI) to better understand the genetic origins of this people.
They discovered that Papua New Guineans are genetically close to other Asian populations, all descending from the same migration that left Africa tens of thousands of years ago, called the “Exodus from Africa.”
Despite this connection to Asians, Papua New Guineans have a distinct appearance, with features reminiscent of people from Sub-Saharan Africa.
This has led some to believe they might have originated from a different human group.
But, according to lead scientist Dr. Mayukh Mondal, these characteristics likely arose from adaptations to the tropical climate, not from a distinct genetic origin.
More studies are needed to understand how evolution shaped these unique people.
Origins still not entirely clear
Most scientists believe that modern humans left Africa between 50,000 and 70,000 years ago, spreading across Europe, Asia, and other regions.
Ancient archaeological discoveries suggested that the ancestors of Papua New Guineans may have originated from an even earlier migration, following a coastal route through India and Southeast Asia.
An archaeological site in Oceania, dating back 50,000 to 60,000 years, predates the earliest known sites in Europe, supporting this idea.
With advances in DNA analysis, scientists have revised this theory.
Studies of maternal (mitochondrial) and paternal (Y chromosome) DNA show that most of Papua New Guineans’ ancestry is linked to other non-African peoples, not to such an ancient migration.
Still, a small portion of their genetic makeup may have come from more ancient migrations.
Furthermore, Papua New Guineans’ DNA contains a significant portion of genes from Denisovans, an extinct human group similar to Neanderthals.
This heritage likely came from interbreeding in Southeast Asia or Oceania, making their genetic history even more unique.
Even with these discoveries, some questions remain unanswered: Are Papua New Guineans a group that separated before Europeans and Asians? Have other peoples intermingled with their genetic history? Do they retain traces of a very ancient migration, or are they entirely linked to the Asian lineage? These questions still require further research.
A Unique Population History
In this study, scientists used high-quality genetic data and artificial intelligence models to compare different scenarios about the origin of Papua New Guineans’ genetic diversity.
They concluded that this people are a “sister” group to other Asian populations, and that the idea of “”a very ancient migration may not be necessary to explain their origins.
The researchers found that the ancestors of Papua New Guineans experienced a “population bottleneck,” meaning their population declined significantly after arriving in Papua New Guinea and remained small for thousands of years.
Unlike other non-African groups, they did not experience a population increase linked to agriculture, as happened in Europe and Asia.
This unique history left traces in their DNA that, if misinterpreted, could appear to be evidence of an unknown group.
This research shows how artificial intelligence and genetics are helping to unravel the fascinating history of Papua New Guineans, a people who hold valuable clues about humanity’s journey.
Published in 10/05/2025 20h03
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.
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