A Denisovan fossil. Source: Dongju Zhange/CC 4.0
A recent study revealed that a 160,000-year-old human jawbone discovered in 1980 in a Tibetan cave came from the Denisovans, a human species related to the Neanderthals. This find on the Tibetan Plateau—also known as the “roof of the world”—suggests that the Denisovans might have been more diverse than previously thought, able to survive at low-oxygen altitudes. Researchers hope the ancient bone will yield more valuable information about how human species evolved in Asia.
