-2-797x638.jpg "Denisovan")
Denisovan
202181202181The Denisovans or Denisova hominins are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic human that ranged across Asia during the Middle to Late Pleistocene, approximately 200,000–32,000 years ago. Most of what is known about Denisovans comes from DNA evidence. While many recent fossils have been found and tentatively identified as Denisovan, the first Denisovans discovered were known from few physical remains. Consequently, no formal species name has been established. However, an analysis of the mitochondrial DNA and endogenous proteins from the Harbin cranium, which had been given the name Homo longi, showed that this skull represents a Denisovan. In a study published in September 2025, remains from six additional sites in China including the one-million-year-old Yunxian man were proposed to be related to the Homo longi lineage with the genetically confirmed Denisovans. Other authors have included other Denisovan remains, like Penghu 1 and the Xiahe mandible, within the species Homo juluensis.
Denisovan populations were distributed across Asia. Evidence also suggests that there was interbreeding with the Altai Neanderthal population, with about 17% of the Denisovan genome from Denisova Cave deriving from them. A first-generation hybrid nicknamed "Denny" was discovered with a Denisovan father and a Neanderthal mother. Additionally, 4% of the Denisovan genome comes from admixture with Asian Homo erectus (also known as Peking Man) which diverged from Denisovans, Neanderthals and modern humans over one million years ago.
The nuclear DNA shows that Denisovans and Neanderthals were more closely related to each other than they were to modern humans. Using the percent distance from human–chimpanzee last common ancestor, Denisovans/Neanderthals split from modern humans about 804,000 years ago, and from each other 640,000 years ago. Using the latter dates, the split had likely already occurred by the time hominins spread out across Europe.
-2-70x56.jpg "2")
The Denisovans or Denisova hominins are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic human that ranged across Asia during the Middle to Late Pleistocene, approximately 200,000–32,000 years ago. Most of what is known about Denisovans comes from DNA evidence. While many recent fossils have been found and tentatively identified as Denisovan, the first Denisovans discovered were known from few physical remains. Consequently, no formal species name has been established. However, an analysis of the mitochondrial DNA and endogenous proteins from the Harbin cranium, which had been given the name Homo longi, showed that this skull represents a Denisovan. In a study published in September 2025, remains from six additional sites in China including the one-million-year-old Yunxian man were proposed to be related to the Homo longi lineage with the genetically confirmed Denisovans. Other authors have included other Denisovan remains, like Penghu 1 and the Xiahe mandible, within the species Homo juluensis.
Denisovan populations were distributed across Asia. Evidence also suggests that there was interbreeding with the Altai Neanderthal population, with about 17% of the Denisovan genome from Denisova Cave deriving from them. A first-generation hybrid nicknamed "Denny" was discovered with a Denisovan father and a Neanderthal mother. Additionally, 4% of the Denisovan genome comes from admixture with Asian Homo erectus (also known as Peking Man) which diverged from Denisovans, Neanderthals and modern humans over one million years ago.
The nuclear DNA shows that Denisovans and Neanderthals were more closely related to each other than they were to modern humans. Using the percent distance from human–chimpanzee last common ancestor, Denisovans/Neanderthals split from modern humans about 804,000 years ago, and from each other 640,000 years ago. Using the latter dates, the split had likely already occurred by the time hominins spread out across Europe.
