September
10
/ 2026
Seven Denisovan fossils from Bianfu Cave in southwest China have opened an unusually detailed window onto a vanished archaic human population. Dating from about 167,000 to 134,000 years ago, the finds comprise teeth, bits of skulls, and part of an arm bone that suggest the fossilized remains belonged to a population of early humans engaged in hunting, butchery and tool use. The discovery extends our knowledge of Denisovans beyond genetic analysis, providing clues to how these ancient people were built and how they survived. Proteins Identify Bianfu’s Ancient Occupants While the first knowledge of Denisovans came from the DNA found in the bone of a finger found in Siberia, the fossil record has been scant. The jaw from Xiahe, as
