Denisovan Fossils Identified

Archaeology Magazine ^ | October 27, 2026 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

Phys.org reports that a new analysis of a skull fragment and jaw fragment found in northern China's Xujiayao archaeological site in the 1970s suggests that the fossils belonged to Denisovans. Qiaomei Fu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and her colleagues identified 18 proteins in the fossils. One of the collagen variants is found only in Denisovans, and not in Neanderthals nor modern humans. Then the researchers evaluated the shapes of the fossils and used 3D computer models to reconstruct the bones. These images were compared with fossils from Neanderthals, modern humans, and other hominins. The study suggests that Denisovans traits combined the features of ancestral hominins, Neanderthals, and other later human species. In particular, Denisovans are thought to have had low, relatively flat skulls with thick bones, prominent brow ridges, and flattened facial features. They are likely to have lived across East Asia, so other fossils from the region may belong to this Denisovan lineage, the researchers concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Nature. For more, go to "Denisovan DNA."

[SunkenCiv]

Geographical locations, original fossils and virtual reconstructions.

Credit: Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-11132-z

[SunkenCiv]

[Adder]

“Homo longi, defined by the Harbin cranium (about 309–146 thousand years ago (ka)) and now classified as Denisovan, is characterized by a massive, long, low cranium; a low, flat face with a shallow canine fossa, reduced alveolar prognathism; a relatively rounded occipital contour with weak torus; a robust supraorbital torus overhanging near-square orbits; and a large, forwardly and inwardly inclined mastoid process, clustering phylogenetically with Jinniushan,”...

Yeah,,,what HE said.

Obviously you can’t survive with a shallow canine fossa and a weak torus...

[BradyLS]

True. Not all mutations are beneficial.

[BradyLS]

True. Not all mutations are beneficial.

[BradyLS]

See what I mean? There is no benefit to my double-post gene! 😁

[muir_redwoods]

I had a shallow canine fossa but he was worthless for duck hunting. Kept the barn free of mice though

[Verginius Rufus]

I read recently that a gene inherited from Denisovans may be what enables Tibetans to flourish at such high altitudes.

Some populations in New Guinea or Australia may have as much as 4 to 6% of their DNA from Denisovan ancestors. A lot of interesting discoveries in the last few years, a lot of it because of successfully extracting ancient DNA from fossils.

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

Thanks, SunkenCiv.

[SunkenCiv]

Before the end of the winter I’ve got to go to the hardware store for parts to fix this leaky fossa I’ve got.

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure!

[gleeaikin]

Now if they would just provide us with a decent sketch of what all these features would probably look like.

Meanwhile I am trying to figure out my own anomalies. My son just had his DNA checked. His service also provided a genetic sketch on his mother and father. Me an my late husband. We apparently had most of the characteristics we already knew about or suspected based on relatives stories and info. My surprise was having 6 to 9% far, far Eastern traces. My great grandfather father of my maternal grandmother belonged to the Prussian German petit nobility, and my maternal grandfather had a Polish regional background (from near Poznan (Pozen). I asked AI about this background, and was told their bloodlines could have come from the Mongol Golden Hoard. I certainly suspected that about my Ggrandfather as he had the title Von and certainly the aristocracy would likely have come from conquerors. I had no other info about my polish area grandfather. In addition my husband had very light clear blue eyes and mine were hazel. Both of our sons had dark brown eyes, as the must have gotten those Asian eyes I had hidden in the hazel color.

On the other hand my husband was 1/16th Cree (Canadian) Indian. One son had 6 Wisdom teeth and the dentist wanted to know if he had Esquimo ancestry (perhaps from the Cree). On the other hand could I have given him the excess wisdom teeth gene from the Far, far, east. During which millennia did the Esquimos migrate from Siberia to North America? I also have rather large teeth (my university dental school, had a hard time finding a large enough metal collar to hold down the plastic sheet protecting my throat from flying dental particals while drilling was being done. I also have only 24 teeth as 4 wisdom teeth and 4 1st bicuspids were removed in my teens to give me a good looking mouth. My poor mother was very “snagglytoothed” and made sure I got dental correction. I also have the “shoveling” trait in my two upper lateral incisors that has been described for Neanderthals. Did Denisovans also have that tooth trait?

Unfortunately, I did know enough about the traits described in this article to discern if any of that described my or my children’s traits. So at this point I wonder if I might have a few Neanderthal or Denisovan genes lurking around inside? Given his Scottish heritage, brawny build, and red hair, furry shoulder and chest, and explosive potential anger, I have wondered what percent of Neanderthal my husband might have had. The info our son received about him only mentioned a small unidentified percent, and he was told they do not have enough date for American Indian genes.