Emily Chan
Aside from the Neanderthals, the Denisovans were the closest extinct relatives to modern humans. Evidence of their existence has been found across a wide range of areas, from the mountains of Siberia to the jungles of Southeast Asia.
The first fossils associated with the Denisovans were discovered in 2008 at a site known as Denisovan Cave, which was located in the Altai Mountains in southern Siberia.
When researchers first came upon the fossils, they thought the remains were of Neanderthals since previous excavations at the cave had unearthed Neanderthal stone artifacts.
However, a DNA analysis of the fossils revealed that they belonged to a different human lineage—the Denisovans. The Denisovans were close relatives of Neanderthals. The researchers announced the discovery in 2010.
In 2013, a study proposed that the Denisovan lineage led to the existence of Neanderthals. Between about 550,000 and 765,000 years ago, Denisovans diverged from the ancestors of modern humans. Between roughly 381,000 and 473,000 years ago, Denisovans and Neanderthals split from each other.
Another study from 2018 showed that the Denisovans were made up of several lineages. One of the closer lineages was the northern Siberian Denisovan. Their DNA can be found mostly in East Asians today.
The other was the southern Siberian Denisovan, which was more distantly related. Their DNA is primarily seen in Papuans and South Asians. About 283,000 years ago, these groups split.
The following year, a third Denisovan lineage was revealed. It was believed to have separated from the other two approximately 363,000 years ago. Today, their genetics are found in individuals who live near New Guinea.
More recently, eight small and fragmented fossils from the Denisovan Cave were identified as Denisovans. They included three molars, three bone slivers, a finger bone fragment, and a bone chip from an arm or leg bone.
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