Ancient Skulls May Belong To Elusive Humans Called Denisovans

Science Magazine ^ | 3-7-2017 | Ann Gibbons

[blam]

Since their discovery in 2010, the ex­tinct ice age humans called Deniso­vans have been known only from bits of DNA, taken from a sliver of bone in the Denisova Cave in Siberia, Russia. Now, two partial skulls from eastern China are emerging as prime candidates for showing what these shadowy people may have looked like.

In a paper published this week in Science, a Chinese-U.S. team presents 105,000- to 125,000-year-old fossils they call “archaic Homo.” They note that the bones could be a new type of human or an eastern variant of Neandertals. But although the team avoids the word, “everyone else would wonder whether these might be Denisovans,” which are close cousins to Neandertals, says paleo­anthropologist Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London.

The new skulls “definitely” fit what you’d expect from a Denisovan, adds paleoanthropologist María Martinón-Torres of the University College London—“something with an Asian flavor but closely related to Neandertals.” But because the investigators have not extracted DNA from the skulls, “the possibility remains a speculation.”

Back in December 2007, archaeologist Zhan-Yang Li of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) in Beijing was wrapping up his field sea­son in the town of Lingjing, near the city of Xuchang in the Henan province in China (about 4000 kilometers from the Denisova Cave), when he spotted some beautiful quartz stone tools eroding out of the sedi­ments. He extended the field season for two more days to extract them. On the very last morning, his team discovered a yellow piece of rounded skull cap protruding from the muddy floor of the pit, in the same layer where he had found the tools.

The team went back for another six sea­sons and managed to find 45 more fossils that fit together into two partial crania.

(snip)

[tumblindice]

"Nurse Chapel. I need you."

[tumblindice]

[SoCal Pubbie]

Yeah I know the joke!

[oldasrocks]

China now says that this find proves Russia was part of China and gives the Russians 2 weeks to move out.

[Deplorable American1776]

I was just talking about Ringling Brothers to an ex classmate and I saw a picture of Charles Nelson Reilly here. He was at the great circus fire in Hartford.

[Veto!]

Thanks for posting, blam.

I’m a big fan of Denisovans, first read about them in The Siberian Times, which also had, and perhaps still has, many photos and maps of the cave where the bone fragment was found. In the Altai area of Siberia. If they’d gather some DNA, I’d actually have mine tested. According to my very rare blood type, I have ancestors who came from that area, and my son’s type is easy to trace to Mongolia/Khazakstan area. All very peculiar, since we are blue=eyed, fair skinned people of Irish descent.

[Veto!]

Denisovan Cave, Siberia:
http://siberiantimes.com/science/casestudy/news/n0407-new-dna-tests-on-ancient-denisovan-people-shows-them-occupying-altai-cave-170000-years-ago/

Denisovans domesticate horses?
http://siberiantimes.com/science/casestudy/news/did-ancient-siberians-domesticate-horses-50000-years-ago/

Needle found in Denisovan cave in Siberia:
http://siberiantimes.com/science/casestudy/news/n0711-worlds-oldest-needle-found-in-siberian-cave-that-stitches-together-human-history/

[blam]

" If they’d gather some DNA, I’d actually have mine tested."

I've read that the Denisovian DNA is the most thoroughly analysed human DNA ever.

I've had the DNA of my whole family analysed. I'm yDNA R1b and mtDNA 'V'.

My grandmother, Mrs Smith, has the same DNA as Cheddar Man

[Veto!]

Great. Who did your DNA?

[blam]

"Great. Who did your DNA?"

The first time was through this project:

The Genographic Project (Have Your DNA Checked, Find Your Roots)

After that program completed I had additional/expanded DNA studies done through Family Tree of Houston.

[Veto!]

My sister just had hers done at National Geo …I think females only get report on their female ancestors though. I’ll suggest Family Tree. Maybe she can talk to them, as she is in Houston.

[blam]

"My sister just had hers done at National Geo …I think females only get report on their female ancestors though. I’ll suggest Family Tree. Maybe she can talk to them, as she is in Houston."

You have to have two tests to get male and female DNA results. She can determine her mother's DNA by doing a mtDNA and then a yDNA(male) to get her fathers.

mtDNA (female) is passed on only by the females (their fathers DNA stops with them). yDNA is passed on only by the males (Their mothers DNA stops with them)

For example, I got my deceased grandmothers DNA from my female cousin(she got it from her mother, my dads sister)...my father is/was also deceased.