A centuries-old jawbone fossil discovered off Taiwan’s western coast has rewritten the story of humanity’s mysterious relatives. The ancient relic, known as Penghu 1, is confirmed to be from a Denisovan, an extinct group of archaic humans identified in 2010.
Denisovans share ancestors with both Neanderthals and modern humans but are distinct themselves. Their physical fossils are extremely rare, making the discovery of Penghu 1 a significant breakthrough. The jawbone was dredged up by a trawler in the early 2000s and later donated to Taiwan’s National Museum of Natural Science.
Scientists used advanced protein analysis to study the fossil, which yielded molecular signatures preserved in the bone and tooth enamel. They identified two Denisovan-specific protein variants that sealed the identification. The jawbone also revealed its biological sex as male and provided insights into Denisovan morphology.
Penghu 1’s discovery confirms that Denisovans thrived in diverse environments, from cold highlands to tropical coastal lowlands. The fossil supports the idea that Denisovans evolved unique traits after splitting from Neanderthals over 400,000 years ago. This finding sheds new light on Denisovan evolution and dispersal, highlighting their adaptability and distinct evolutionary path.
The study was published in the journal Science, and its discovery brings Denisovans into sharper focus as individuals with faces, bones, and stories waiting to be uncovered.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/jawbone-discovery-taiwan-adds-to-the-mystery-of-our-denisovan-ancestors