Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences from two Denisovan individuals. Denisovan Molars

Denisovans, a sister-group of Neandertals, have been described based on a nuclear genome sequence from a finger phalanx (Denisova 3) found in Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains. The only other Denisovan specimen describedidentifiedidentified to date is a molar (Denisova 4) found at the same site. This tooth carries a mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequence similar to that of Denisova 3. Here we present nuclear DNA sequences from Denisova 4 and a morphological description, as well as mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data, from another molar (Denisova 8) found in Denisova Cave in 2010. This new molar is similar to Denisova 4 in being very large and lacking traits typical of Neandertals and modern humans. Nuclear DNA sequences from the two molars form a clade with Denisova 3. The mtDNA of Denisova 8 is more diverged and has accumulated fewer substitutions than the mtDNAs of the other two specimens suggesting that Denisovans were present in the cave over an extended period of time. The nuclear DNA sequence diversity among the three Denisovans is comparable to that among six Neandertals but lower than that among present-day humans.