Richest Dataset of Denisovans Found in Bianfu Cave in China

The world of archeology and anthropology has acquired the richest dataset to date on Denisovans, a mysterious human species that lived at the same time as Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.

Excavations carried out in Bianfu Cave, located in an abandoned quarry in China's Yunnan Province, opened the doors of the Stone Age to scientists. According to the study published in Nature, the fossils and tools found in the cave proved that Denisovans existed in the region uninterruptedly for a huge period of time ranging from 30 thousand years to 120 thousand years.

Thousands of stone tools and animal bones were unearthed in the cave, which was discovered by chance during ecological restoration works in 2019. Protein analyzes by a team led by paleogeneticist Qiaomei Fu from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing confirmed that the fossilized skull, humerus and tooth fragments belonged directly to Denisovans.

Dating based on sediment layers shows that the archaic people in question date back to B.C. It showed that it was actively living in this region between 167,000 and 134,000 BC. The location's location in the southwest also proves its geographical proximity to the regions where the genetic transfer of Denisovans to the natives of modern-day Papua New Guinea took place.

Proteomic studies on femurs and tibias obtained from the region showed that some Denisovans had a large stature, standing 180-190 centimeters tall and weighing 80-90 kilograms.

In addition, examinations of animal bones in the cave revealed that Denisovans were extremely successful hunters, targeting medium and large-sized mammals such as deer. Cutting and marrow extraction marks on animal carcasses documented that this human species specialized in processing meat and obtaining nutrient-dense marrow.

In addition to cutting stone tools for practical use, archaeologists also identified bone tools similar to technologies produced by Neanderthals in the cave layers.

It was determined that the Denisovans, who had advanced butchery techniques, not only hunted but also produced tools by processing bones. Excavations in Bianfu Cave, which is currently protected as a heritage site, are continuing to reveal whether Denisovans lived alone or together with other human species.