DNA Reveals 300,000 Years Of Hominin And Animal Presence At Denisova Cave

the entrance to Denisova Cave, the famous site in southern Siberia where remains of both Neandertals and their Asian  relatives, the Denisovans, have been found. Credit: Richard G. Roberts

Denisova Cave in southern Siberia is the type locality of the Denisovans, an archaic hominin group who were related to Neanderthals. The dozen hominin remains recovered from the deposits also include Neanderthals and the child of a Neanderthal and a Denisovan, which suggests that Denisova Cave was a contact zone between these archaic hominins.

In the largest study of DNA  preserved in sediments to date, Max Planck researchers have analyzed DNA from 728 sediment samples from Denisova Cave.

It provides unprecedented detail about the occupation of the site by both archaic and modern humans over 300,000 years.

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Source: https://www.ancientpages.com/2021/06/26/dna-reveals-300000-years-of-hominin-and-animal-presence-at-denisova-cave/