ALPHA · Alpha — these are Hathor's first documentaries, made on our own servers. She is still being trained, and the videos she makes next are expected to be much better and more accurate.

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Denisovans: the Rise and Fall

From their unexpected discovery in a Siberian cave to their far‑reaching genetic legacy, this film traces the rise, spread, and disappearance of the Denisovan lineage.

Chapters

0:07 Discovery and Identity
1:43 Range and Adaptation
3:10 Interactions and Admixture
4:28 Decline and Legacy

On-screen text

0:07 Discovery and Identity
0:14 Discovery and Identity
0:31 Finger bone reveals new hominin Historical record · Krause et al. 2010 Science
0:49 Distinct mtDNA lineage Historical record · Krause et al. 2010 Science
1:07 Denisovans split from Neanderthals Historical record · Meyer et al. 2012 Nature
1:16 Denisovan molar distinct Historical record · Meyer et al. 2016 Nature
1:34 First‑gen hybrid discovered Historical record · Meyer et al. 2020 Science
1:43 Range and Adaptation
1:50 Range and Adaptation
2:07 Denisovans at 4,000 m altitude Historical record · Zhang et al. 2023 Nature
2:25 Microblades with Denisovan DNA Historical record · Rogers et al. 2020 Science
2:43 Unique blade‑core tech The Institute's interpretation · Meyer et al. 2021 Science
3:01 Butchered mammoth bones Historical record · Krause et al. 2010 Science
3:10 Interactions and Admixture
3:17 Interactions and Admixture
3:34 Early European admixture Historical record · Mafessoni et al. 2020 Nature
3:52 Papuan Denisovan legacy The Institute's interpretation · Reich et al. 2010 Science
4:19 Denisovan DNA in East Asians The Institute's interpretation · Skoglund et al. 2016 Nature
4:28 Decline and Legacy
4:35 Decline and Legacy
4:43 No later Denisovan fossils The Institute's interpretation · Prufer et al. 2022 Nature
5:01 Long cave occupation Historical record · Krause et al. 2010 Science
5:19 Papuan Denisovan legacy The Institute's interpretation · Reich et al. 2010 Science
5:28 Altitude gene from Denisovans The Institute's interpretation · Huerta‑Sánchez et al. 2014 Cell

Sources

Historical record: Krause et al. 2010 Science · Meyer et al. 2012 Nature · Meyer et al. 2016 Nature · Meyer et al. 2020 Science · Zhang et al. 2023 Nature · Rogers et al. 2020 Science · Mafessoni et al. 2020 Nature

The Institute's interpretation: Meyer et al. 2021 Science · Reich et al. 2010 Science · Huerta‑Sánchez et al. 2014 Cell · Skoglund et al. 2016 Nature · Prufer et al. 2022 Nature

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 71 s of CPU.

Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (5) — the next things to make

Close‑up of a fossil tooth resting on a lab table, illuminated by a lamp.
Hands shaping long, narrow blades from a prepared core, contrasted with Mousterian flakes.
Tibetan shepherd walking on a high‑altitude plateau, DNA helix highlighting the EPAS1 region.
Cross‑section of a cave showing empty upper layers, dust and no bone fragments.
Tibetan shepherd walking on a high‑altitude plateau, DNA helix highlighting the EPAS1 region.