Denisovan facial features revealed with 199,000-year-old fossils

A new study published in the journal Nature has detailed the physical appearance and lifestyle of Denisovans based on 199,000-year-old fossils found in the Xujiayao region of China.

The research published in the journal Nature sheds light on the physical appearance and lifestyle of the Denisovan species, which had been lost in the depths of history. As a result of ancient protein analyses conducted on fossilized bones during studies in the Xujiayao region of northeastern China, peptide mutations unique to Denisovans were identified, and an anatomical map of the species was created. According to the data obtained, Denisovans possessed a low and flat skull structure reminiscent of Homo erectus, prominent brow ridges, and flat cheeks, while also carrying a curved head structure and less pronounced jawlines that resemble modern humans.

The inability to classify human fossils from the Middle Pleistocene period in East Asia has been referred to as the "Muddle in the Middle" in paleoanthropology for many years. The new research shows that the Dali, Jinniushan, and Hualongdong fossils, which are referred to by different names in the region, could actually be individuals of the same species, strengthening the thesis that the prehistoric population that reigned in the Chinese geography for thousands of years consisted mainly of Denisovans. In addition to hominid bones, approximately 30,000 tools made of stone, bone, and deer antler, along with horse, rhinoceros, and gazelle remains, were found at the excavation site; this collection documents that the species possessed advanced hunting and complex life skills.