史前古人类之间的基因交流及对当今现代人的影响

Prehistoric interbreeding between archaic human groups and anatomically modern humans

古DNA实验技术及高通量测序技术的出现和发展,使得直接从古老化石中进行遗传物质的提取及测序成为可能,与古人类相关的基因组学研究因此取得了一系列突破性进展,已灭绝的古老型人类(如:尼安德特人和丹尼索瓦人)与非洲以外现代人之间基因的相互影响已被诸多证据所证实。研究表明,在史前时期,早期现代人向非洲以外地区扩散时,遭遇到了现已灭绝的古老型人类,他们在同一时空内长期共存,并发生了基因交流,有一部分古老型人类基因因此流向了现代人,有些基因一直流传至今,对当今现代人的基因组成产生重大影响;此外,不同古老型人类之间也存在基因交流;而早期现代人也对部分古老型人类的基因组成造成了影响。化石与古DNA信息的证据均表明,史前各种人类之间的基因交流在多个地区发生多次,他们的基因交流共同构建了当今现代人的基因库,并在生理机能、形态和疾病发生率等方面对现代人造成了深远的影响。

With the emergence and advancements in ancient DNA experimental methods and high-throughput sequencing technology, it is increasingly possible to directly extract and retrieve genetic materials from ancient human fossils. This has led to a series of breakthroughs in the genomic research of archaic humans, including reconstructing the past interactions between archaic humans （i.e. Neanderthals and Denisovans） and modem humans outside Africa. Fossil and ancient DNA evidences indicate that as the early modern humans spread from Africa, they encountered and received genes from archaic humans after some coexistence with them; likewise, the genes of early modem humans affected certain archaic populations, and that the archaic populations had genetic admixture among themselves. Interbreeding among prehistoric humans occurred many times across geography, and has laid down the foundation of the gene pool of modem humans. It is profoundly influencing the way we think about our physiology and morphology as well as the prevalence of diseases in present-day.