The Latest Breaking News from Denisova Cave

Science says ancient soil can reveal about extinct animals that left no bones, the hidden DNA record beneath our feet

The discovery of DNA preserved in ancient sediments is expanding our understanding of what can constitute a fossil record. Bones provide physical traces of past life, while sediments can preserve valuable molecular evidence. Used together, these approaches can reveal traces of animals that were too rare, too small, poorly preserved…

The Economic Times · Sep 1

Meet the Denisovans: Scientists finally reveal the face of a 400,000-year-old human species

For years, the Denisovans occupied an unusual place in the story of human evolution. They were recognised as one of our closest extinct relatives, yet almost nobody knew what they actually looked like. Unlike Neanderthals, whose skeletons have been uncovered across Europe and western Asia, Denisovans were represented by only…

The Times of India · Jul 10

2 Neanderthals present at same Siberian cave 10,000 years apart were distant relatives, 110,000-year-old bone reveals

Researchers extracted DNA from a Neanderthal bone fragment found in Russia's Denisova Cave, and the genome is shedding light on how small and isolated their groups were.

LiveScience · Mar 26

A fossil tooth places enigmatic ancient humans in Southeast Asia

What do a finger bone and some teeth found in the frigid Denisova Cave in Siberia’s Altai mountains have in common with fossils from the balmy hills of tropical northern Laos?

The Conversation · May 17, 2022