Molar found in Laos could be the first fossil evidence that the hominin species was far-ranging and able to adapt to different climates.
This suggests that the species ranged far beyond Siberia — but the fossil evidence has been sparse. The entire fossil record for Denisovans so far boils down to a handful of teeth, bone shards and a jawbone found in Tibet. Aside from the latter, every specimen has come from Denisova cave.
The fossilized molar, seen here from several angles, is thought to have belonged to a young Denisovan girl that died between 164,000 and 131,000 years ago.Dating of the cave’s rock and animal teeth revealed that the tooth pre-dated the arrival of modern humans in the area. “It was just a huge surprise,” says Shackelford, who says the team wasn’t expecting to find ancient-human remains.
The tooth’s roots are not fully developed, so it probably belonged to a child, the researchers say. They also found that it lacked certain peptides in its enamel that is associated with the Y chromosome — a possible indication that its owner was female.Reconstructing the identity of a person whose bones have been degraded by thousands of years of tropical conditions is challenging, says Katerina Douka, an archaeological scientist at the University of Vienna.
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