The discovery of the Denisovans has revolutionized our understanding of human evolution. In 2010, scientists uncovered the first draft of the Neanderthal genome, confirming that early humans had interbred with these extinct relatives. Just months later, a finger bone found in Denisova Cave revealed the presence of another unknown hominin group, the Denisovans. Like their Neanderthal counterparts, researchers have found evidence of interbreeding between modern humans and Denisovans.

According to Dr. Linda Ongaro, Postdoctoral Researcher at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Genetics and Microbiology, this phenomenon is not unique to a single event but rather the result of multiple interbreeding episodes that shaped the course of human history. “It’s a common misconception that humans evolved suddenly and neatly from one common ancestor,” she notes. “The more we learn, the more we realize interbreeding with different hominins occurred and helped shape the people we are today.”

Despite the limited Denisovan fossil record, scientists have managed to uncover significant evidence of their genetic legacy. By leveraging surviving segments in modern human genomes, researchers have identified at least three past events where genes from distinct Denisovan populations were incorporated into the genetic signatures of humans.

These events reveal varying degrees of genetic similarity to the Denisovan remains found in the Altai region, suggesting a complex relationship among these closely related groups. In their review, Dr. Ongaro and Professor Emilia Huerta-Sanchez highlight evidence that Denisovans lived across a vast territory stretching from Siberia to Southeast Asia and from Oceania to South America. Different groups appear to have been adapted to their own specific environments.

Moreover, scientists have detailed several Denisovan-derived genes that provided survival advantages in different parts of the world. For example, one genetic locus confers tolerance to hypoxia (low oxygen conditions), which makes sense in Tibetan populations; multiple genes confer heightened immunity; and one gene impacts lipid metabolism, providing heat when stimulated by cold, giving an advantage to Inuit populations in the Arctic.

Dr. Ongaro emphasizes that there are numerous future directions for research that will help tell a more complete story of how the Denisovans impacted modern humans. These include more detailed genetic analyses in understudied populations and integrating more genetic data with archaeological information, which could reveal currently hidden traces of Denisovan ancestry.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in writing and editing emails has become a common practice among professionals, with over 75% of them utilizing tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, or Claude in their daily work. While these generative AI tools can make writing easier, research reveals that relying on them too heavily can undermine trust between managers and employees.

A study conducted by researchers Anthony Coman and Peter Cardon surveyed 1,100 professionals about their perceptions of emails written with low, medium, and high levels of AI assistance. The results showed a “perception gap” in messages written by managers versus those written by employees. When evaluating their own use of AI, participants tended to rate it similarly across different levels of assistance. However, when rating others’ use, the magnitude of AI assistance became important.

The study found that low levels of AI help, such as grammar or editing, were generally acceptable. However, higher levels of assistance triggered negative perceptions, especially among employees who perceived their managers’ reliance on AI-generated content as laziness or a lack of caring. This perception gap had a substantial impact on trust: only 40% to 52% of employees viewed supervisors as sincere when they used high levels of AI, compared to 83% for low-assistance messages.

The findings suggest that managers should carefully consider message type, level of AI assistance, and relational context before using AI in their writing. While AI may be suitable for informational or routine communications, relationship-oriented messages requiring empathy, praise, congratulations, motivation, or personal feedback are better handled with minimal technological intervention.

In essence, the quiet threat to trust posed by overreliance on AI emails is a reminder that while technology can enhance productivity and efficiency, it cannot replace human touch and emotional intelligence in workplace relationships.

A recent study has shed light on an alarming trend: among women who strongly desire to avoid becoming pregnant, those who engage in heavy drinking are more than 50% likelier to become pregnant compared to those who drink moderately or not at all. In contrast, participants who use cannabis do not appear to have a higher risk of undesired pregnancy.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco conducted this study among a subgroup of over 900 non-pregnant women aged 15-34 who reported a strong desire to avoid pregnancy. They found that those who drank heavily and those who used cannabis frequently had an even higher overall desire to avoid pregnancy compared to participants who drank moderately or did not use cannabis.

Over the course of one year, 71 out of the 936 women in this subgroup became pregnant unintentionally. A significant proportion (38) of these unwanted pregnancies occurred among heavy drinkers, far exceeding the combined number for those who drank moderately or not at all. This suggests that heavy drinking is associated with a higher risk of undesired pregnancy compared to lower levels of consumption.

On the other hand, less than half (28) of the 71 unintended pregnancies occurred among people who used cannabis, indicating that these individuals did not have an elevated risk of undesired pregnancy compared to those who did not use cannabis.

According to Dr. Sarah Raifman, lead author of this study, the findings imply two crucial points: first, non-pregnant women who drink heavily may have a higher desire to avoid pregnancy than those who drink moderately or do not drink at all; second, heavy drinking compared to moderate or no drinking appears to put those who most want to avoid pregnancy at a higher risk of becoming pregnant within one year.

Given the potentially life-altering effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and the fact that the risk of FASD increases with the amount and duration of maternal drinking, healthcare professionals should support women who drink heavily in stopping their consumption as soon as they suspect an unintentional pregnancy.