- For the first time, scientists analysing the DNA of Denisovans woman — an extinct group of hominins that was discovered around a decade ago — have come up with an image based on so-called DNA-methylation. Using this, scientists find Denisovans, an extinct group of hominins discovered a decade ago, were very similar in appearance to Neanderthals, but had wider jaw and skull. The study was published the Cell journal.
- Ever since archaeologists uncovered the first fragmented Denisovan remains in a Siberian cave, researchers have scoured the globe for clues to how the mysterious hominins looked. Denisova Cave has yielded a few more small fossils, mostly teeth.
- A jawbone from the Tibetan Plateau added detail this year, as did information on a missing finger bone that moved between labs in Russia, California and Paris. But none of these fossils is large or complete enough to reconstruct many anatomical details.
- Denisovan remains were first discovered in 2008 and have fascinated human evolution researchers ever since. They lived in Siberia and Eastern Asia, and went extinct approximately 50,000 years ago. That said, up to 6% of present-day Melanesians and Aboriginal Australians contain Denisovan DNA. Further, Denisovan DNA likely contributed to modern Tibetans’ ability to live in high altitudes and to Inuits’ ability to withstand freezing temperatures.
