Denisovan remains dating back up to 167,000 years found in China
Researchers have discovered Denisovan fossil remains dating back 134,000 to 167,000 years in a cave in Yunnan Province, China. The findings provide new insights into the evolutionary history and geographic distribution of this archaic human group.
Why it matters
This discovery fills a significant gap in the human evolutionary record and helps scientists better understand how ancient hominids adapted to high-altitude environments.
--> Denisovan remains dating back 134,000 to 167,000 years have been discovered in Bianfu Cave in Yunnan Province in southwestern China. Two studies published in the journal Nature on September 9 also describe the stone tools and way of life of this group of archaic humans, the South China Morning Post reports .
The cave is located in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture at an altitude of 2,370 meters above sea level, on the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. In 2019, workers who had begun ecological restoration of a quarry discovered bones and stone tools. Systematic excavations began in Bianfu Cave that same year and later yielded thousands of fossil remains.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in