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, China, marking a significant new site for studying these extinct hominins.
• The fossils date from 167,000 to 134,000 years ago and were found alongside bone and stone tools, fossilized pollen, and animal remains, providing insight into the Denisovans' lifestyle in subtropical conifer forests.
• Unlike previous Denisovan finds scattered across Asia, Bianfu Cave appears to have been occupied solely by Denisovans, allowing researchers to study their artifacts and behavior in a well-preserved context.
• The Denisovans hunted large prey such as water buffalo and deer using expedient stone and bone tools, and their arm bone shows some anatomical similarities to Neanderthals, suggesting unique physical traits.
• The discovery expands knowledge of Denisovan geographic range and ecology, with Yunnan’s hospitable environment possibly serving as a biodiversity hotspot and migration crossroads for ancient human relatives.