A new study suggests that Modern West Africans carry a small but helpful genetic legacy from a previously unknown, now-extinct hominid population. UCLA geneticists Arun Durvasula and Sriram Sankararaman revealed that the ancestors of modern Yoruba and Mende people inherited the genes of extinct species around 24,000 years ago or later. The DNA analysis found 2 to 19 percent of the genetic material of the extinct ghost population in the genomes of Yoruba and Mende people. Besides, DNA from Han Chinese as well as Utah residents also found to be carrying the genetic legacy of the ancient ghost population. The research hence provides strong evidence that interbreeding of ancient people with various Homo species played a crucial role in the evolution of modern Africans than earlier predicted.