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2w ago

Ancient Jawbone Near Taiwan Identified as Denisovan, Expanding Known Range of Early Humans

Protein analysis and anatomical comparisons confirm the fossil's Denisovan origins, revealing their wider distribution across East Asia.

Image
© Chun-Hsiang Chang, Jay Chang
The life reconstruction of a robust male Denisovan, an extinct archaic human, walking under the bright sun of Taiwan, is seen in this illustration obtained by Reuters on April 10, 2025. Cheng-Han Sun/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
A general view of the Penghu Islands coast at low tide, located off the coast of Taiwan, in this handout image released on April 10, 2025. Although the exact location is unknown, the fossilized mandible of a male Denisovan, an extinct archaic human, was discovered off the coast of this island. Takumi Tsutaya/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

Overview

  • A jawbone, dubbed Penghu 1, recovered from the seafloor near Taiwan has been identified as Denisovan based on protein markers and anatomical features.
  • This discovery significantly broadens the known geographic range of Denisovans, previously confirmed in Siberia and the Tibetan Plateau.
  • Protein residue analysis revealed two markers unique to Denisovans, overcoming the lack of recoverable DNA in the fossil.
  • The jawbone exhibits thick bones and large molars, resembling a Denisovan specimen found on the Tibetan Plateau in Xiahe, China.
  • Direct dating of the fossil remains unresolved due to environmental degradation, but researchers estimate it dates back to the Pleistocene era.