Overview
- Two Nature papers, published Wednesday, report that proteomic analyses identified multiple hominin specimens from Bianfu Cave as Denisovan by the Denisovan-specific collagen variant COL1A2 R996K.
- The human remains come from two sediment layers dated to roughly 167,000–134,000 years ago while stone and bone tools in the same trench indicate intermittent site use from about 190,000 to 70,000 years ago.
- Researchers recovered the first confirmed Denisovan radius and two parietal fragments; the radius shows a mosaic of features with some Neanderthal-like proximal traits but an overall shape closer to modern humans.
- Excavations yielded more than 60,000 bone fragments, over 1,300 stone and modified bone tools, and 1,600 identifiable animal bones mainly from deer and large bovids that bear cut and marrow‑extraction marks.
- A new workflow combining morphological pre‑screening with ZooMS (protein mass spectrometry) enabled efficient recovery of hominin bones and the team plans sediment DNA tests next to further confirm occupational links and refine regional Denisovan history.