We have all heard of Neanderthals as ancient cousins of modern humans, but have you ever heard of Denisovans? Nobody has! Not until about a decade ago, when some archeologists found unusual bone fragments inside a cave in Siberia. And if you come from Oceania, you have a chance of being a descendant of Denisovans together with 5% of the population of the Oceania countries.
Denisovans lived around 200,000 – 50,000 years ago. All we know about them comes mostly from small bone fragments and teeth recovered in Siberia’s Denisova Cave. They are thought to have lived mainly in Siberia and Easters Asia, in very high altitudes.
Scientists say Denisovans and Neanderthals descended from a common ancestor that had split from the lineage leading to modern humans. Even so, our species interbred with both and picked up genetic markers that are still detectable in some people today.
Up to this day, scientists do not know why Denisovans went extinct. And until very recently, they did not know how they even looked. So far, the only Denisovan remains discovered are three teeth, a pinky bone and a lower jaw. The fragments found, made it possible for researches to do complex analysis of DNA, comparing it with that of modern humans, Neanderthals and chimpanzees.
According to a report Thursday in the journal Cell, the team identified 32 traits that gave them clues to the Denisovan skeleton. As expected, their features were very similar to those of Neanderthals: robust jaws, a low forehead, a large rib cage and a wide pelvis. Interestingly, their faces were much wider than those of ancient humans of Neanderthals.
Based on the specifics, researchers were able to provide a preliminary portrait of what a Denisovans female might have looked like. For many scientists, this is extremely exciting news!
While the team consider the portrait based on DNA to be pretty accurate, they are skeptical about the added skin, eyes and hair to the skull. Due to the very little knowledge yet about Denisovans, it is very hard for scientists to ensure that such detailed renderings are accurate.
Sources: BBC, Los Angeles Times
