Cave fossils in China reveal lives of mysterious human relatives

Key Points:

• Archaeologists discovered seven Denisovan fossils, including teeth, an arm bone, and skull fragments, in Bianfu Cave, Yunnan province, marking the third confirmed Denisovan site and expanding knowledge of their habitat range.
• The fossils, dated between 167,000 and 134,000 years ago, were found alongside bone and stone tools, animal remains, and pollen, providing insights into Denisovan life in subtropical conifer forests and their hunting practices.
• Unlike previous Denisovan finds, Bianfu Cave appears to have been occupied solely by Denisovans for an extended period, allowing researchers to study the fossils in their original context and better understand their culture and behavior.
• No ancient DNA was preserved in the fossils due to age and climate, but protein analysis confirmed their Denisovan identity; the stone tools found suggest a flexible, expedient technology used for hunting large forest animals.
• The discovery includes the first known Denisovan arm bone, which shares some traits with Neanderthals, and highlights Yunnan as a biodiversity hotspot that may offer further clues about Denisovan life and their interactions with other archaic humans.