A digital reconstruction of the Harbin skull, which is now believed to be the most complete fossil cranium belonging to the now extinct DenisovansWikimedia Commons/CC 4.0
A digital reconstruction of the Harbin skull, which is now believed to be the most complete fossil cranium belonging to the now extinct DenisovansWikimedia Commons/CC 4.0
The LAST Ice Age? Wait, what? What causes an Ice Age to end?
Was it you that recommended The Goddess and the Bull?
Reading it now, and am remind how much archaeology and paleo-archeology allow themselves to be swayed in their conclusions by meager amounts of discovered artifacts.
I think 🤔 I saw him in a GEICO commercial a couple of times
Or is he a Texas Democrat by any chance?
modern humans had
sex with fallen angels and birthed Nephiliam that Darwin cultists academia calls Pleistocene-era hominin.
Not extinct, now known as big foot, Sasquatch,,yeti,,ect.
Of course, then, there are the homonyms—a whole different thing entirely: One of two or more words that have the same sound and often the same spelling but differ in meaning, such as bank (embankment) and bank (place where money is kept).
Thanks, SunkenCiv.
AI Synopsis:
New Human Species Discovered
Scientists have confirmed that the “Dragon Man” skull, discovered in Harbin, China, is the first-ever identified Denisovan fossil, giving the previously unknown hominin species its first definitive facial features.
This discovery, based on protein and ancient DNA analysis, reveals Denisovans had a wide, low face with a prominent brow ridge combined with modern traits like delicate cheekbones and a flat lower face, and suggests they were adapted to cold climates. The findings, published in Science and Cell, resolve a long-standing mystery about Denisovan appearance and confirm they inhabited a much wider range across East Asia than previously thought.
Denisovan Identification:
The Harbin skull, officially named Homo longi, was confirmed as a Denisovan through the analysis of 95 proteins and a small amount of ancient human DNA found in its dental plaque, which contained 27 unique gene variants found only in other known Denisovans.
Significance:
This skull is the most complete Denisovan fossil ever found, providing crucial anatomical details that allow for better comparison with other hominin fossils and a deeper understanding of their adaptations to the environment.
Ongoing Debate:
While the evidence is considered convincing by many researchers, a debate continues over naming. Some scientists argue the skull’s features support classifying Denisovans as Homo longi, while others, including the pioneer of Denisovan DNA research, believe it’s more accurate to group all these closely related hominins under Homo sapiens due to evidence of interbreeding.
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Abstract only, July 24, 2025
The Harbin cranium, linked to Denisovans via mitochondrial DNA, broadens their known range and provides the first insights into Denisovan morphology. This discovery highlights the potential of biomolecular analysis from nontraditional sources, enhancing understanding of archaic human evolution in Asia and filling gaps in the scarce Denisovan fossil record.
https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(25)00745-7
Denisovan mitochondrial DNA from dental calculus of the >146,000-year-old Harbin cranium, June 18, 2025 - downloadable
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)00627-0
The genetic changes that shaped Neandertals, Denisovans, and modern humans, February 16, 2024 - downloadable
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)01403-4
Denisovans and Homo sapiens on the Tibetan Plateau: dispersals and adaptations, March 2022 - downloadable
https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/abstract/S0169-5347(21)00307-4
Some clues I have picked up about these Denisovans
The lived in high, cold places, eschewing warm, temperate, forest or plains to live because they were the ultimate environmentalists, as we would call them today, not wanting to harm animals, plants, fish by living among them. Their language, like Neanderthals, was tonal, rather than word-using like other species because of where their larynx were situated in their throats - giving their speech high-pitched soprano like sounds.
My 2 cents
