Cave fossils found in China offer glimpse at how Denisovans lived

Key Points:

• Archaeologists discovered seven Denisovan fossils, including teeth, an arm bone, and skull fragments, in Bianfu Cave, Yunnan province, marking the first site in southern China with Denisovan remains directly associated with cultural artifacts.
• The fossils date from 167,000 to 134,000 years ago, and the cave also contained stone and bone tools, fossilized pollen, and animal remains, offering insights into Denisovan life in subtropical conifer forests.
• Unlike previous Denisovan finds scattered across Asia, Bianfu Cave appears to have been occupied exclusively by Denisovans for a long period, allowing researchers to study their lifestyle, hunting strategies, and tool use in context.
• The Denisovans at Bianfu hunted large forest animals and used expedient stone tools, showing a flexible adaptation rather than complex technology, while amino acid analysis confirmed the fossils' Denisovan origin despite the absence of ancient DNA.
• The discovery expands understanding of Denisovan geographic range and ecology, with Yunnan's hospitable environment possibly serving as a biodiversity hotspot and crossroads for ancient human populations.