A Denisovan jawbone discovered in Taiwan

Amazing stuff!

"... An analysis of the robust mandible’s ancient proteins published in Science reveals it belonged to a Denisovan, a close cousin of Neanderthals that lived roughly between 400,000 years to 30,000 years ago. To date, all other Denisovan fossils confirmed using molecular methods—that is, through ancient DNA or ancient protein analysis—came from frigid, high-altitude locations in Siberia and the Tibetan Plateau. The Taiwan mandible confirms Denisovans also lived in hot, humid places, as well.

That tracks with genetic data indicating Denisovans interbred with modern humans, especially those in Island Southeast Asia, given the fact that certain populations there today derive between 1% and 5% of their genomes from those ancient encounters. And now that researchers can confidently match morphology with Denisovan-specific protein sequences ...

From the editor's summary and abstract:

"Editor’s summary

Denisovans are a Pleistocene hominin lineage first identified genomically and known from only a few fossils. Although genomic studies suggest that they were widespread throughout Asia, fossils of this group have thus far only been identified from regions with cold climates, Siberia and Tibet. Tsutaya et al. used ancient proteomic analysis on a previously unidentified hominin mandible from Taiwan and identified it as having belonged to a male Denisovan. This identification confirms previous genomic predictions of the group’s widespread occurrence, including in warmer climates. The robust nature of this mandible is similar to that seen in a Denisovan one from Tibet, suggesting that this is a consistent trait for the lineage. ...

Abstract

Denisovans are an extinct hominin group defined by ancient genomes of Middle to Late Pleistocene fossils from southern Siberia. Although genomic evidence suggests their widespread distribution throughout eastern Asia and possibly Oceania, so far only a few fossils from the Altai and Tibet are confidently identified molecularly as Denisovan.

We identified a hominin mandible (Penghu 1) from Taiwan (10,000 to 70,000 years ago or 130,000 to 190,000 years ago) as belonging to a male Denisovan by applying ancient protein analysis. We retrieved 4241 amino acid residues and identified two Denisovan-specific variants.

The increased fossil sample of Denisovans demonstrates their wider distribution, including warm and humid regions, as well as their shared distinct robust dentognathic traits that markedly contrast with their sister group, Neanderthals."

ScienceAdviser

A male Denisovan jawbone from Taiwan expands the known geographic range of this extinct human group (original news release) "Denisovans A team of international researchers based in Denmark, Japan and Taiwan has made a significant breakthrough in the field of paleoanthropology with the attribution of a Pleistocene mandible from Taiwan to a male Denisovan. The study reveals new insights into the distribution and anatomy of Denisovans, an extinct hominin group"

A male Denisovan mandible from Pleistocene Taiwan (no public access)

A fishing vessel dredged up this fossil jawbone, now confirmed as Denisovan, from the Taiwan Strait.

Romanian fossils are earliest evidence of hominins in Europe, predating other finds by up to half a million years

Amazing stuff!

"The bones are at least 1.95 million years old but could be up to 2.2 million years old. They may help build a picture of when early human ancestors left Africa and reached Europe and Asia, and the route they took. This has been an area of debate for decades.

The previous oldest evidence of hominins in Europe – stone tools found in Ukraine in 2024 – are just 1.4 million years old. In Dmanisi, Georgia – at the border of Europe and Asia – finds have been dated to 1.85–1.77 million years. ...

Cut marks that could only have been made by stone tools used by early hominins were found on the [animal] bones. High-precision uranium-lead radiodating  showed the bones were at least 1.95 million years old. ..."

From the abstract:

"The timing of the initial dispersal of hominins into Eurasia is unclear. Current evidence indicates hominins were present at Dmanisi, Georgia by 1.8 million years ago (Ma), but other ephemeral traces of hominins across Eurasia predate Dmanisi. However, no hominin remains have been definitively described from Europe until ~1.4 Ma. 

Here we present evidence of hominin activity at the site of Grăunceanu, Romania in the form of multiple cut-marked bones.

Biostratigraphic and high-resolution U-Pb age estimates suggest Grăunceanu is > 1.95 Ma, making this site one of the best-dated early hominin localities in Europe. Environmental reconstructions based on isotopic analyzes of horse dentition suggest Grăunceanu would have been relatively temperate and seasonal, demonstrating a wide habitat tolerance in even the earliest hominins in Eurasia. Our results, presented along with multiple other lines of evidence, point to a widespread, though perhaps intermittent, presence of hominins across Eurasia by at least 2.0 Ma."

Romanian fossils are earliest evidence of hominins in Europe, predating other finds by half a million years "Analysis of bones butchered by ancient human ancestors shows they represent the oldest direct evidence of hominins in Europe."

Hominin presence in Eurasia by at least 1.95 million years ago (open access)

Fig. 1: Map of fossil localities showing evidence of hominins (either hominin fossils, lithics, or cut-marked bones) in northern Africa and Eurasia prior to 1.0 Ma.

Fig. 2: Selected images of high-confidence cut-marked specimens from the Olteţ River Valley assemblage.

Possible 'new ancient human' species identified in China

Amazing stuff!

Were Neanderthals More Advanced Than We Thought?

Recommendable! There is also a recent study showing that possibly Neanderthals used tar to fasten tools and/or arrow heads.

An 8.7 million-year-old ape skull suggests that human and ape ancestors may have evolved in Europe, not Africa

A case of Eurocentrism? 😊 New fossils, new theories! Wow, so the first hominins go back about 9 million years.

"An ape skull found in Turkey may challenge the belief that human and ape ancestors came from Africa.

The discovery suggests that hominins may have first evolved in Europe.

Not all scientists are convinced by the theory, however. ...

Meanwhile early hominins, which include humans, the African apes, and their fossil ancestors, are not seen in Africa until around seven million years ago. ...
"Our findings further suggest that hominins not only evolved in western and central Europe but spent over five million years evolving there and spreading to the eastern Mediterranean before eventually dispersing into Africa, probably as a consequence of changing environments and diminishing forests," said Professor David Begun, a paleoanthropologist from the University of Toronto and co-senior author of the study ..."

From the abstract:

"Fossil apes from the eastern Mediterranean are central to the debate on African ape and human (hominine) origins. Current research places them either as hominines, as hominins (humans and our fossil relatives) or as stem hominids, no more closely related to hominines than to pongines (orangutans and their fossil relatives). Here we show, based on our analysis of a newly identified genus, Anadoluvius, from the 8.7 Ma site of Çorakyerler in central Anatolia, that Mediterranean fossil apes are diverse, and are part of the first known radiation of early members of the hominines. The members of this radiation are currently only identified in Europe and Anatolia; generally accepted hominins are only found in Africa from the late Miocene until the Pleistocene. Hominines may have originated in Eurasia during the late Miocene, or they may have dispersed into Eurasia from an unknown African ancestor. The diversity of hominines in Eurasia suggests an in situ origin but does not exclude a dispersal hypothesis."

Ancient Ape Skull Suggests Human Origins May Lie in Europe, Not Africa

Human and ape ancestors arose in Europe, not in Africa, controversial study claims

A new ape from Türkiye and the radiation of late Miocene hominines (open access)

The skull. Sevim-Erol, A., Begun, D.R., Sözer, Ç.S. et al.

Fig. 2: Cross sectional anatomy of the palate in Anadoluvius and other hominids (not to scale).

Were these stone balls made by humans living about 1.4 million years ago trying to perfect the sphere?

Did early humans aspire to create perfect spheres out of limestone? What for?

"When scientists excavated a 1.4-million-year-old site in northern Israel in the 1960s, they were stumped by the presence of nearly 600 plum-size stone balls alongside more usual stone tools such as hand axes. These rocky orbs had no discernible purpose, and some speculated they may have been debris produced while making other tools. Now, researchers suggest our ancient relatives intentionally crafted these spheres, perhaps for the sheer joy of creating symmetry. ..."

From the abstract:

"Spheroids are one of the least understood lithic items yet are one of the most enduring, spanning from the Oldowan to the Middle Palaeolithic. Why and how they were made remains highly debated. We seek to address whether spheroids represent unintentional by-products of percussive tasks or if they were intentionally knapped tools with specific manufacturing goals. We apply novel three-dimensional analysis methods, including spherical harmonics and surface curvature, to 150 limestone spheroids from ‘Ubeidiya (ca 1.4 Ma), presently the earliest Acheulean occurrence outside of Africa, to bring a new perspective to these enigmatic artefacts. We reconstruct the spheroid reduction sequence based on trends in their scar facets and geometry, finding that the spheroid makers at ‘Ubeidiya followed a premeditated reduction strategy. During their manufacture, the spheroids do not become smoother, but they become markedly more spherical. They approach an ideal sphere, a feat that likely required skilful knapping and a preconceived goal. Acheulean bifaces are currently thought to represent the earliest evidence of hominins imposing a premeditated, symmetrical shape on stone. The intentional production of sphere-like objects at ‘Ubeidiya similarly shows evidence of Acheulean hominins desiring and achieving intentional geometry and symmetry in stone."

Were these stone balls made by ancient human relatives trying to perfect the sphere? | Science | AAAS

The limestone spheroids of ‘Ubeidiya: intentional imposition of symmetric geometry by early hominins? (open access)

Figure 1. Left: A map of select sites where stone balls (including spheroids) are documented. Right: A map of sites with stone balls in the southern Levant, including the location of ‘Ubeidiya.

Figure 2. Methods of measuring edge angles, centre of mass and surface curvature. (a) The method of calculating angles on the spheroids, using the Angle Between Surfaces function of the Artifact3-D program. The red and blue dots represent coordinates comprising the angle calculation on two different surfaces. (b) An example spheroid's minimum bounding box (dashed lines) as well as the location of its centre of mass (CoM; red circle) and centre of bounding box (CoBB; blue cross). (c) Surface curvature values shown with heatmaps of example spheroids. Regions of higher curvature are shown in brighter colours.

First hominin muscle reconstruction shows 3.2 million-year-old ‘Lucy’ could stand as erect as we can

Amazing stuff! Unfortunately, no time left for further comment!

Beatles (the Fab four): Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Remastered 2009). Enjoy!

First hominin muscle reconstruction shows 3.2 million-year-old ‘Lucy’ could stand as erect as we can | University of Cambridge Digital modelling of legendary fossil’s soft tissue suggests Australopithecus afarensis had powerful leg and pelvic muscles suited to tree dwelling, but knee muscles that allowed fully erect walking.  

Reconstruction of Lucy at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico. What a beauty she was! 😊

Ancient ape offers clues to evolution of two-legged walking

So habitual bipedalism is perhaps no longer a distinguishing feature of hominins/hominids versus apes?

Ancient ape offers clues to evolution of two-legged walking: Ancient ape offers clues to evolution of two-legged walking
Discovery of creature that lived in the trees but stood on its hind legs suggests bipedalism emerged millions of years earlier than previously thought.