Rare fossils reveal what ancient Denisovans may have looked like
[post_content]
Disclaimer: This article has been automatically aggregated from
Whenever anything is written about the Denisovans, the word “mysterious” is almost guaranteed to appear. That is because we just don’t know a lot about this extinct human group that may have lived in East Asia from at least 300,000 to 45,000 years ago and was closely related to the Neanderthals. The main reason for that is a sparse fossil record.
Now, thanks to a new study published in the journal Nature, some significant knowledge gaps are being filled in—namely, what they looked like and where they lived.
The answers came from analysis of a skull fragment and a jaw fragment excavated alongside other fossils from the Xujiayao archaeological site in northern China between 1976 and 1979.
A telltale protein clue
To identify the remains, researchers led by Qiaomei Fu at the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently extracted proteins from both fragments.
The team identified 18 ancient proteins and analyzed their sequences alongside data from other ancient hominins and modern humans. Because small sequence differences act like molecular signatures, they reveal evolutionary relationships and help map where fossils fit on the human family tree.
The key clue was a specific collagen variant, COL1A2-996K, which has been found in Denisovans but not in Neanderthals or modern humans. “Molecular phylogeny and shared morphological traits classify Xujiayao, initially assigned to different lineages, as Denisovan,” the scientists wrote.
Next, the team focused on what the Denisovans may have looked like based on the skull and jaw fragments and other fossils of bones and teeth found at the Xujiayao site.
They measured the remains and used 3D computer models of reconstructed skull and jaw bones. Then the study authors compared these shapes against fossils from Neanderthals, modern humans and other ancient hominins.
Distinctive Denisovan features
And what did all of this reveal? According to the paper, Denisovans had low, relatively flat skulls with thick bones, prominent brow ridges and flattened facial features. Their physical traits appear to be a combination of ancestral hominin features and characteristics shared by Neanderthals and later human species.
By confirming the Xujiayao fossils are Denisovan, the study tells us more about where they lived. Together with other fossil evidence, it supports the idea that Denisovans were widespread across East Asia, extending far beyond the cold Siberian caves or Tibetan mountains they are commonly associated with.
Additionally, these fossils share key traits with remains found at sites across East Asia. Therefore, the researchers suggest that many other fossils from this region may belong to this same Denisovan lineage.
“The inclusion of additional members of East Asian late Middle Pleistocene archaic Homo, alongside Xujiayao, expands the morphological variability of East Asian Denisovans.”
Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, edited by Lisa Lock, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive.
If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You’ll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.
Publication details
Song Xing et al., The proteome of Middle Pleistocene Xujiayao and common Denisovan morphology, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-11132-z
© 2026 Science X Network
Citation:
Rare fossils reveal what ancient Denisovans may have looked like (2026, October 23)
retrieved 23 October 2026
from https://phys.org/news/2026-10-rare-fossils-reveal-ancient-denisovans.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
for informational purposes only. We do not claim ownership, accuracy, or liability for the content provided. All rights belong to the original publisher.