Denisovans and Homo sapiens on the Tibetan Plateau: dispersals and adaptations. (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Peiqi; Zhang, Xinjun; Zhang, Xiaoling; Gao, Xing; Huerta-Sanchez, Emilia; Zwyns, Nicolas
• Is Part Of: Trends in ecology & evolution. Volume 37:Number 3(2022)
• Page Start: 257
• Page End: 267
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: archaeology -- genetics -- Homo sapiens -- Denisovans -- high-altitude adaptation -- human population history; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution (Biology) -- Periodicals; 576.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.11.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0169-5347

Abstract

Abstract : Recent archaeological discoveries suggest that both archaic Denisovans and Homo sapiens occupied the Tibetan Plateau earlier than expected. Genetic studies show that a pulse of Denisovan introgression was involved in the adaptation of Tibetan populations to high-altitude hypoxia. These findings challenge the traditional view that the plateau was one of the last places on earth colonized by H. sapiens and warrant a reappraisal of the population history of this highland. Here, we integrate archaeological and genomic evidence relevant to human dispersal, settlement, and adaptation in the region. We propose two testable models to address the peopling of the plateau in the broader context of H. sapiens dispersal and their encounters with Denisovans in Asia. Highlights: The peopling of the Tibetan Plateau is a spectacular example of human adaptation to high altitudes as Tibetan populations have thrived for generations under strong selective pressures of the hypoxic environment. Recent discoveries are leading to paradigmatic changes in our understanding of the population history of the Tibetan Plateau, involving H. sapiens and the archaic hominin known as Denisovan. Archaeological and genetic studies provide essential insights into behavioral and biological human adaptations to high elevations but there is a lack of models integrating data from the two fields. Here, we propose two testable models for the peopling process on the plateau leveraging evidence from archaeology and genetics.