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Taiwan Jawbone Likely Belonged to Mysterious Denisovan
Scientists have announced a fascinating discovery – an ancient jawbone found in Taiwan likely belonged to a Denisovan, a mysterious group of early humans. This revelation expands our understanding of where these ancient relatives once roamed.
Denisovans are an extinct hominin group that interacted with both Neanderthals and our own species, Homo sapiens. However, Denisovan fossils are incredibly rare, making this find particularly significant. Previously confirmed fossils have only been found in Siberia and Tibet, with a potential additional site in Laos.
The Taiwanese jawbone’s journey to scientific recognition is remarkable. Originally dredged from the Penghu Channel seabed during a fishing operation, it was sold to an antique shop. A discerning collector then spotted and purchased it in 2008, eventually donating it to Taiwan’s National Museum of Natural Science.
While the fossil’s marine attachments allowed scientists to date it to the Pleistocene epoch, identifying the species proved challenging. The jawbone’s condition prevented DNA analysis.
However, researchers in Taiwan, Japan, and Denmark successfully extracted protein sequences, comparing them to the genome of a Denisovan fossil from Siberia. The results, published in the journal Science, strongly suggest a Denisovan origin.
While promising, some experts urge caution. Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins Project, commends the protein analysis but notes the limited sample size might not tell the whole story. He believes further data is necessary for definitive confirmation.
At one point in history, Eurasia was home to at least three human ancestor groups – Denisovans, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens. Interbreeding occurred between these groups, leaving traces of Denisovan and Neanderthal DNA in some modern human populations.
The reason for the Denisovans’ extinction remains unknown. With so little fossil and archaeological evidence, scientists can only speculate. Their legacy, however, lives on in the genomes of some East and Southeast Asian populations.