A close-to-century-old enigma buried deep in a well has finally been solved, as the Harbin skull, formerly known as "Dragon Man", has been confirmed as the face of the Denisovans.
DNA Traces Link Skull to Denisovan Lineage
Found by a Chinese worker in Harbin City in 1933, the skull had been secretly stored inside a well until 2018. It was then turned over to scientists by the family. In 2021, the skull was declared a new species, Homo longi, due to its distinctive shape and characteristics. Two new studies published this week in Science and Cell validate, however, that Dragon Man is at no different species but a Denisovan.
Through genetic and protein testing, scientists detected residual mitochondrial DNA from ancient days in dental plaque and protein found in soil in the inner ear. These indicated a Denisovan population that existed in Siberia more than 100,000 years ago.
In addition to the DNA analysis, the researchers also analysed the skull's proteome — a list of its amino acids and proteins. This with known Neanderthal, modern human, and primate samples verified the Denisovan identity of the Harbin skull.
First Glimpse of a Denisovan Face
Scientists now have a physical yardstick for Denisovan characteristics. The Harbin skull, which has its thick brow ridge, its long low braincase, and broad nose, gives the fullest description to date. The members of this subgroup in youth probably had brown-grey colouring, which darkened to solid black when they reached adulthood.
Chris Stringer of the London Natural History Museum stated that the new identification makes the case for Homo longi being a species name even stronger. But he also added that the group is still small and still needs more funds to be considered.
Denisovans, Neanderthals, and early humans coexisted in Asia in the Middle Pleistocene. The time is referred to as the "muddle in the middle" because interbreeding between groups occurred very commonly. Denisovans had been largely familiar based on DNA and small fossils until now.
Shaping the Future of Human Evolution Studies
With the Harbin skull now established as Denisovan, it is joined by a recent discovery — a jawbone off Taiwan — as physical evidence for their presence. These instances serve to enable palaeontologists to examine other enigmatic fossils throughout Asia.
The finds also underscore the necessity of DNA and proteome work. Fossils tend to not preserve DNA, so protein analysis is an important method for learning about old human relatives.
Researchers say more revelations will follow as techniques advance, offering deeper insights into how humans and their closest kin once lived and evolved.
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