VIENNA, AUSTRIA—According to a Live Science report, three Denisovan fossils have been identified in a collection of more than 3,000 bone scraps recovered from a deep layer in Siberia’s Denisova Cave. The fossils were identified through analysis of proteins based on previous studies of Denisovan DNA. Two of the bones, estimated to be 200,000 years old, may have come from one individual or two relatives. Stone artifacts such as scrapers were also found in this layer. “This is the first time we can be sure that Denisovans were the makers of the archaeological remains we found associated with their bone fragments,” said Katerina Douka of the University of Vienna. The bones of deer, gazelle, horse, bison, and woolly rhinoceroses were also identified. “We can infer that Denisovans were well adapted to their environments, utilizing every resource available to them,” Douka added. For more on Denisovans, go to "Denisovans at Altitude," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2019.
