Sign of A Mysterious Human Ancestor Has Been Found in Our Spit, According to Researchers

Some people will say that they have acquired a lot of features from their ancestors, but there are also some individuals who say that the saliva that their ancestors used to have flowed down through their saliva too.

It seems that people’s saliva can give some signs that traits have been passed on from an ancestor. It appears that the gene is something that can be traced back to the Neanderthals or the Denisovans. Where exactly does this gene come from?

What is MUC7?

Are you familiar with what MUC7 is? This is a type of gene that is responsible for making people’s saliva thick and mucus-like. This is because of mucin which serves as the protein found in the saliva.

It seems that MUC7 are all different depending on the lineage that people come from. If this would be tested in the modern population, the MUC7 will have some different qualities. It seems that through this gene, it will be possible for people to trace their lineage. This gene is supposed to lead to about 2,500 genomes. Some secrets may be uncovered because of this.

It seems that this gene type can be connected to the different microbes found in the mouth area. This is not surprising what has surprised people is how it can be connected to people’s family tree.

“When we looked at the history of the gene that codes for the protein, we see the signature of archaic admixture in modern day Sub-Saharan African populations,” says researcher Omer Gokcumen.

History of MUC7

It seems that according to the gene, the different ancestors of that time were all able to breed on multiple occasions. This means that the ancestors, Neanderthals, Denisovans, and humans all lived together in harmony before.

The mingling of various tribes may be apparent through the number of lost tribes that have been discovered through the years so finding a gene that is similar to what they used to have is not surprising anymore.

“Based on our analysis, the most plausible explanation for this extreme variation is archaic introgression – the introduction of genetic material from a ‘ghost’ species of ancient hominins,” says Gokcumen

This gene shows a more dominant connection to the Neanderthals and the Denisovans which means that this trait may come from a “ghost hominins.” Some people may think that this type of human beings may be unique and different, but the only reason why they are called this way is that there is no clear trace of this race. There are no fossils to prove that they have existed in the past, but it may be evident through the gene.

While there are a lot of people, who think that the discovery of the MUC7 only opens up the new mystery, a lot of experts say that the modern person usually breaks up with someone and goes back from time to time just to copulate. It is possible that our ancestors have done this before and has exchanged their genes through their saliva. It is also evident that most of the ancestors have acquired and kept those genes to be passed on.

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Featured Image Courtesy: NPR (www.npr.org)

Sources: ScienceAlert, National Geographic