# Unknown hominin ancestry in modern humans

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/unknown-hominin-ancestry-in-modern-humans
> Updated: 2026-09-10T20:55:31.000Z. Sources: 24. Developments: 5.

Researchers from UC Berkeley and Johns Hopkins have identified two previously unknown hominin lineages within modern human DNA. Using a new computational tool called TRACE (TRacking Archaic Contributions via ARG Estimation), scientists reconstructed ancestral recombination networks to detect these extinct populations without the need for direct fossil DNA comparisons.

One lineage, described as a “ghost ancestor,” interbred with early Homo sapiens in Africa over 50,000 years ago. This group contributed approximately 0.5% to 1.1% of the DNA in present-day humans, a level of admixture comparable to Neanderthal DNA. A second, even older “super-archaic ancestor” split from the human lineage roughly 1.8 million years ago and contributed to modern genomes indirectly through Denisovan admixture.

A study published in the journal Science, involving the analysis of 503 genomes, confirmed that this genetic legacy is present in diverse global populations, including British, Han Chinese, Telugu, Yoruba, and Luhya groups. These findings suggest that ancient admixture with unknown hominins was more widespread than previously understood, expanding the known evolutionary history of Homo sapiens beyond Neanderthal and Denisovan contributions.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-10: Researchers discover two unknown ancestral lineages in human DNA

Researchers have discovered two previously unknown ancestral lineages in modern human DNA using a new genomic analysis method.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/researchers-discover-two-unknown-ancestral-lineages-in-human-dna

### 2026-08-26: Researchers identify two ‘ghost’ ancestral lineages in human DNA

Scientists have used a new genomic method to identify two ‘ghost’ ancestral lineages in modern human DNA that were previously missing from the fossil record.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/researchers-identify-two-ghost-ancestral-lineages-in-human-dna

### 2026-08-09: University of California researchers identify unknown archaic human DNA

Scientists have discovered traces of an unidentified archaic human population in the DNA of modern groups, using a new method called TRACE to identify ancestry without existing fossil references.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/university-of-california-researchers-identify-unknown-archaic-human-dna

### 2026-08-05: Ancient 'ghost' hominin lineage identified in modern human DNA

UC Berkeley scientists used the TRACE method to uncover a previously unknown “ghost” hominin that contributed ~1 % of modern human DNA, interbreeding in Africa ~50,000 years ago, a discovery published in Nature

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ancient-ghost-hominin-lineage-identified-in-modern-human-dna

### 2026-07-30: Study identifies two unknown hominin ancestors in human DNA

A UC Berkeley‑Johns Hopkins study finds two unknown hominin ancestors in modern human DNA, each contributing ~1% of the genome, identified using the new TRACE method.

12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uc-berkeley-johns-hopkins-uncover-ghost-ancestry-in-human-genome

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Cite as: Unknown hominin ancestry in modern humans. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/unknown-hominin-ancestry-in-modern-humans