A new Denisovan mandible from Taiwan
Ancient protein analysis revealed that the oldest hominin fossil in Taiwan was derived from a male Denisovan
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI
image:
Robust morphology can be seen.
view moreCredit: Chun-Hsiang Chang, Jay Chang
A fossil mandible (Penghu 1: 19,000 to 10,000 years ago) was discovered on the seabed of the Penghu Channel in Taiwan and reported as the first and oldest hominin fossil from Taiwan in 2015. Penghu 1 has distinct morphological characters and retains archaic features, but its taxonomic identity was unknown. Attempts were made to extract ancient DNA from this fossil, but these were unsuccessful. Now, an international research team from Japan, Taiwan, and Denmark revealed that Penghu 1 was derived from a male Denisovan by sequencing its bone and tooth proteins. The molecular identification of Penghu 1, a Denisovan, has significant implications for human evolutionary history in eastern Asia.
Modern human populations in eastern Asia, particularly in the southeast, have genomic elements derived from the Denisovans, and it has been suggested that the two interbred in the region. However, so far, the molecularly identified Denisovan fossils are very fragmentary and have been found only from two sites in northern Asia. This research has directly demonstrated that Denisovans were also distributed in southeastern Asia. This research also revealed that the jaws and teeth of Denisovans were much robust than those of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, who lived on Earth at the same time. These findings have shed light on the mysterious appearance and distribution of Denisovans.
Journal
Science
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
A male Denisovan mandible from Pleistocene Taiwan
Article Publication Date
10-Apr-2025
One can see how the shallow sea extends out.
Credit
Takumi Tsutaya
A robust male Denisovan individual was walking under the bright sun during the Pleistocene of Taiwan. This illustration was drawn by Cheng-Han Sun.
Credit
Cheng-Han Sun
Pleistocene-age Denisovan male identified in Taiwan
Summary author: Walter Beckwith
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
A fossil Pleistocene-age hominin jawbone discovered in Taiwan has now been identified as belonging to a Denisovan, according to a new paleoproteomic analysis of the remains. The findings provide direct molecular evidence that Denisovans occupied diverse climates, from the cold Siberian mountains to the warm, humid subtropical latitudes of Taiwan, and offer new morphological insights into this enigmatic hominin lineage. Recent research has revealed a surprising variety of ancient human relatives that lived in eastern Asia during the Pleistocene before modern humans arrived. One of the most important discoveries is the Denisovans, a distinct group identified through DNA from fossils in Denisova Cave, Siberia. Studies show that Denisovans were closely related to Neanderthals and interbred with both them and modern humans. However, outside Siberia, direct genetic evidence of Denisovans has only been found on the Tibetan Plateau. While other fossils found across eastern Asia have been proposed as being Denisovan, their classification remains uncertain without molecular confirmation. Here, Takumi Tsutaya and colleagues provide paleoproteomic evidence identifying a fossil hominin mandible (Penghu 1) recovered from the Penghu Channel off Taiwan as belonging to a male Denisovan. The Penghu remains, along with various animal fossils, were retrieved through commercial fishing dredging from the seafloor, which was once part of the Asian mainland during lower sea levels in the Pleistocene. Using ancient proteomic analysis, Tsutaya et al. extracted proteins from bone and dental enamel from the fossil and retrieved 4,241 amino acid residues, two of which were Denisovan-specific protein variants. According to the authors, these variants are rare in modern human populations but have a higher frequency in regions associated with Denisovan genetic introgression. What’s more, morphological analysis of the Penghu 1 remains reveals a robust jaw structure with large molars, and distinctive root structures, features that align with traits seen in the Tibetan Denisovan specimen, suggesting these traits were characteristic of the lineage and perhaps sex-specific.
Journal
Science
Article Title
A male Denisovan mandible from Pleistocene Taiwan
Article Publication Date
11-Apr-2025
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