The Denisovans are an extinct species of human that lived in Siberia several tens of thousands of years ago.We now have sequence information from these Denisovans.What evidence would best support Denisovans having had the capacity for speech?
A) The Denisovan MC1R protein variant had the same activity as the typical human variant.
B) The Denisovan MC1R gene resembled the human but not the chimpanzee variant.
C) The Denisovan MC1R gene resembled the chimpanzee but not the human variant.
D) The Denisovan FOXP2 protein variant had lower activity than the typical human variant.
E) The Denisovan FOXP2 gene resembled the human but not the chimpanzee variant.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The FOXP2 gene has been linked to the capacity for speech in humans. The fact that the Denisovan FOXP2 gene resembled the human variant suggests that they may have also had the capacity for speech. The other options do not provide direct evidence related to speech ability.

The Denisovans Are an Extinct Species of Human That Lived