Mysterious Fossil Found in Siberian Cave May be Oldest-Known Sample of Rare Human Lineage

Scientists have discovered the earliest remains of the enigmatic Denisovan human ancestry to date. According to a new study, researchers have unearthed stone artifacts related to these extinct ancestors of contemporary humans for the first time with these 200,000-year-old bones.

Denisovans

Denisovans, an extinct branch of the human family tree, were discovered a little more than a decade ago and are the closest known cousins of modern humans, along with Neanderthals. DNA retrieved from Denisovan remains indicated that at least two separate populations of Denisovans interbred with ancestors of contemporary humans, suggesting that they were previously ubiquitous across continental Asia, island Southeast Asia, and Oceania.

Only a half-dozen Denisovan fossils have been unearthed till today. According to Live Science, five were discovered in Denisova Cave in Siberia, while one was found at a Chinese holy site.

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Studying the Denisova Cave

In Denisova Cave, researchers have unearthed three more Denisovan remains. They are thought to be around 200,000 years old, making them the oldest Denisovans yet discovered. Previously, the oldest Denisovan specimens were estimated to be between 122,000 and 194,000 years old.

Researchers looked at 3,791 bone fragments from Denisova Cave for the current study. Based on earlier DNA studies on the extinct lineage, scientists sought proteins they knew were Denisovan.

The experts discovered five human bones among the debris. Four of them had enough DNA to be identified: one was Neanderthal, and three were Denisovan. Based on genetic similarities, two of these fossils may have come from the same person or related people.

"We were ecstatic to discover three additional Denisovan bones amid the cave's earliest strata," study senior author Katerina Douka, an archaeologist at the University of Vienna in Austria, told Live Science. "Our technique succeeded because we intentionally targeted these levels where no other human fossils had ever been discovered."

Age

The age of these Denisovan fossils was determined by the stratum of soil in which they were discovered. There were also several stone artifacts and animal bones in this stratum, which might provide crucial archaeological information about Denisovan life and behavior. Denisovan fossils have previously only been discovered in levels devoid of archaeological material or in layers that held Neanderthal material.

"This is the first time we can be certain that Denisovans made the archaeological remains we uncovered connected with their bone pieces," Douka added.

Living Conditions

According to the latest results, these newly discovered Denisovans lived when, according to a prior study, the temperature was warm and similar to today's. They lived in a habitat that featured broad-leaved woods and open grassland. According to butchered and burned animal remains discovered in the cave, the Denisovans may have eaten deer, gazelles, horses, bison, and woolly rhinoceroses.a

"We may deduce that Denisovans were well-adapted to their settings, making use of every resource at their disposal," Douka added.

The stone items discovered in the same strata as the Denisovan fossils are essentially scraping tools that may be used to deal with animal skins. According to the experts, the raw materials for these things most likely originated from river silt right outside the cave's entrance, and the river most likely aided the Denisovans in their hunting efforts.

"The site's strategic location in front of a water supply and the valley's entrance would have made it an excellent hunting location," Douka added.

There are no direct parallels in the north or central Asia for the stone tools associated with these new fossils. They do, however, resemble artifacts discovered in Israel between 250,000 and 400,000 years ago - a period related to critical advances in human technology, such as the widespread use of fire, according to the researchers.

According to the latest research, Denisovans may not have been the cave's sole residents at the time. Denisovans may have actively competed with carnivores like wolves and wild dogs for prey and maybe the cave itself, according to the bones of carnivores such as wolves and wild dogs.

"At the present, our team is working at Denisova Cave and a few other Asian locations, and we expect to disclose some exciting new findings shortly," Douka added.           

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