1 of 1
Story summary
- Fu Qiaomei’s Chinese team identified Denisovan fossils in Bianfu Cave, Yunnan.
- Proteomic analysis of seven fragments confirmed Denisovan identity using the COL1A2 R996K marker.
- The remains date to roughly 167,000–134,000 years ago, with occupation layers spanning 190,000–70,000 years.
- Bianfu Cave now holds the largest Denisovan assemblage outside Siberia, reported in Nature on September 9, 2026.
- Stone and bone tools reveal sophisticated hunting technology comparable to contemporary Neanderthal assemblages.