Story highlights Analysis of genetic information worldwide found that some people had blends of archaic DNA

Traces of Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry were found in some Pacific Islanders

(CNN) Neanderthals may not have been as lucky as our human ancestors in the long run, but that doesn't mean the two subspecies didn't get lucky.

Scientists have discovered that Homo sapiens -- that's us -- made more babies with archaic humanlike species than initially thought. That sexual history has left a mark on the human genome, possibly influencing our immune systems and metabolism, according to a new study published in the journal of Science

Scientists analyzed the genetic information of more than 1,500 people from all around the world and determined that ancestors of modern humans interbred with Neanderthals and Denisovans.

They learned that some Asians, Europeans and even the Melanesians of Papua New Guinea had Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry.

Mystery surrounds the Denisovans, which were related to Neanderthals but genetically different, in much the same way Neanderthals were distinct from modern humans. In 2008, fossil remains of Denisovans were discovered in a cave in Siberia.

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