Scientists recently discovered a fossil jaw that belonged to Denisovans, an ancient hominid population, near Taiwan’s west coast. This finding expands the known range of Denisovans, who were previously identified from ancient DNA and bones in a couple of Asian sites. Denisovans were originally determined to be close relatives of Neanderthals, but their evolutionary status is still unclear. They are known to have interbred with Neanderthals, leading to some modern East Asian populations inheriting Denisovan genes.
The Taiwan fossil, known as Penghu 1, was first examined by researchers in 2008 and initially classified as an unknown Homo species. However, further analysis identified two protein residues in Penghu 1 that are unique to Denisovans, indicating that it belonged to this ancient hominid population. Even though no DNA was extracted from the fossil, protein changes are produced by genes and thus offer valuable insight into the fossil’s origins. Additionally, anatomical similarities between Penghu 1 and a Denisovan jaw found in China further support its classification as a Denisovan fossil.
While attempts to determine the age of Penghu 1 have been unsuccessful due to exposure to seawater and loss of bone collagen, researchers suspect it dates back to periods when sea levels were low enough to connect Taiwan to mainland Asia. This suggests that Denisovans were adaptable to a variety of environmental conditions, including cold Siberian winters, thin air on the Tibetan Plateau, and mild, rainy climates in Taiwan. The discovery of Penghu 1 challenges previous assumptions about the geographic range of Denisovans and their ability to thrive in different environments.
Some researchers propose that Denisovans represent a new species, Homo juluensis, based on fossils from Chinese sites dating back to around 200,000 to 105,000 years ago. However, others caution against premature classification, citing the lack of conclusive evidence to definitively identify Denisovan skeletal features. The debate over Denisovan classification and their relationship to modern humans continues, as more research is needed to understand the full extent of this ancient hominid population’s impact on human evolution. While Penghu 1 sheds light on the mysterious Denisovans, many questions remain unanswered regarding their appearance, species classification, and genetic contributions to present-day humans.
