Question 34 from UPSC CSE 2019 - Current Affairs

Question

The word 'Denisovan' is sometimes mentioned in media in reference to

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. an early human species

Strategy: Identify the core subject by the scientific and anthropological context the term 'Denisovan' is associated with. Current affairs and academic references use 'Denisovan' to describe a hominin species, distinct from and closely related to Neanderthals. None of the other options—dinosaurs, cave systems, or geological periods—align with this usage.

Key Info: Denisovans are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans in the genus Homo. First identified from a finger bone discovered in 2008 in Denisova Cave, Russian Siberia, they are recognized primarily by genetic analysis. The Denisovan genome shows that these hominins were closely related to, but distinct from, Neanderthals, sharing common ancestry with populations that migrated into parts of Asia. Notable discoveries include a jawbone found in the Baishiya Karst Cave on the Tibetan Plateau, confirming Denisovan presence outside Siberia and adaptation to high-altitude environments. The Denisovan contribution is present in the DNA of some present-day human populations, especially Melanesians and Indigenous Australians. Unlike dinosaurs, Denisovans are hominins from the Late Pleistocene, and the name is not linked to Indian caves or geological periods. The study of Denisovans contributes significantly to understanding hominin evolution, interbreeding, and migration patterns in prehistoric Eurasia.

Answer

Option A: fossils of a kind of dinosaurs

Answer

Option C: a cave system found in North-East India

Answer

Option D: a geological period in the history of Indian subcontinent