The junk DNA paradigm has proven to be an ill-founded icon of evolution. We’ve witnessed its pet sub-theories systematically debunked as we learn more and more about how creatures’ DNA systems work. And now one of the pet darlings of junk DNA speculation, the alleged useless nature of introns (intervening noncoding pieces of genes), has also been tossed in the evolutionary trash heap.

Denisovans are ancient humans represented by various teeth and a finger bone found in a Siberian cave. Their claim to fame is largely based on the DNA extracted from these few fragments of human remains. According to evolutionists, they are more closely related to Neanderthals than modern humans.