A groundbreaking fossil discovery in Taiwan has revealed that Denisovans, a mysterious hominid population, once inhabited the island. The ancient jawbone, dated to around 40,000 years ago, provides conclusive evidence of Denisovan presence in East Asia.
New Fossil Evidence Suggests Denisovans Inhabited Taiwan
A Mysterious Population with a Global Reach
The discovery of a fossil jaw in Taiwan has provided new evidence that ‘a mysterious hominid population’ , known from ancient DNA and a handful of bones found at Asian sites, inhabited the island. The analysis of proteins in this jaw suggests that it came from a Stone Age population called Denisovans.
The Denisovans are an extinct species of archaic humans that coexisted with both Neanderthals and modern humans.
Discovered in 2010, their DNA was extracted from a finger bone found in Siberia's Denisova Cave.
Genetic analysis revealed a unique blend of Neanderthal and modern human ancestry.
Studies suggest they interbred with both species, leaving behind a genetic legacy in present-day populations.
Physical characteristics of the Denisovans are still unknown due to the limited remains, but their DNA suggests they may have had darker skin and more robust builds than Neanderthals.
Unraveling the Mystery of Denisovans‘ Place in Hominid Evolution
The fossil jaw, originally netted by fishermen off Taiwan’s west coast, belonged to a member of the Denisovan population. Scientists report their findings in the April 11 ‘Science journal’ . The analysis of proteins in this jaw indicates that it comes from a Denisovan, based on two lines of evidence.
Protein Analysis Reveals Denisovan Origins
In an analysis of 4,241 protein residues extracted from the fossil, two displayed a chemical structure previously reported as common among Denisovans but absent in Neandertals and rare in people today. This suggests that the jaw comes from a Denisovan. The investigators also found a protein marker of male sex in tooth enamel from the Taiwan jaw.
Anatomy and Age of the Fossil
The fossil’s anatomy resembles that of a Denisovan jaw found on the Tibetan Plateau in Xiahe, China. Both jaws feature low-set mouths with thick bones, large molars, and distinctively shaped tooth roots. However, attempts to pinpoint the age of Penghu 1 have failed due to prolonged exposure to seawater and loss of bone collagen.
Implications for Our Understanding of Denisovans
The discovery of Penghu 1‘s Denisovan debut shows that this now-extinct population adapted not only to long, cold winters at Siberia‘s Denisova Cave but also to mild, rainy conditions about 4,000 kilometers southeast of Denisova Cave. One member of the research team suspects that Denisovans occupied most of Central and East Asia.
Debating the Evolutionary Status of Denisovans
Scientists have found too few, mostly fragmentary fossils classified as Denisovan to conclusively identify Denisovan skeletal features. The most complete fossils assigned to Denisovans have not yielded ancient DNA, which may indicate that they belonged to another Asian species, such as ‘Homo erectus’ .
A New Species or a Misidentified Fossil?
Some researchers propose that Penghu 1 and other Denisovan fossils belong to a new species, ‘Homo juluensis’ . However, this proposal is considered premature by others, who argue that the available evidence is insufficient to support it.
Denisovans are a recently discovered extinct species of human that lived around 400,000 years ago.
They were first identified through DNA analysis of a finger bone found in Siberia's Denisova Cave.
Studies suggest that Denisovans interbred with both Neanderthals and modern humans, leaving behind a genetic legacy in present-day populations.
Research has also revealed that Denisovans shared physical characteristics with both Neanderthals and modern humans, including robust body shape and archaic features.
Conclusion
The discovery of a fossil jaw in Taiwan has provided new evidence that Denisovans inhabited the island. The analysis of proteins and anatomy suggests that the jaw comes from a Denisovan population. Further research is needed to fully understand the evolutionary status of Denisovans and their place in human evolution.
The Denisovans are an extinct species of human that was discovered in 2010 through DNA analysis of a finger bone found in Siberia.
They are known to have interbred with both Neanderthals and modern humans, leaving behind genetic signatures in present-day populations.
Studies suggest they may have lived as recently as 40,000 years ago, but their exact habits and habitats remain unknown.
The discovery of Denisovan DNA has shed light on the complex history of human evolution, revealing a previously unknown chapter in our species' story.
- sciencenews.org | Denisovans inhabited Taiwan, new fossil evidence suggests
