A fossil collector browsing a Taiwanese antique shop in 2008 stumbled upon a heavy jawbone with unusually large teeth – a discovery that sparked a 15-year scientific journey. New research now confirms the fossil belonged to a Denisovan man, offering groundbreaking insight into these elusive ancient human relatives.
The fossil, dubbed Penghu 1, is only the third major Denisovan specimen ever confirmed. Unlike previous finds in Siberia’s Denisova Cave and Tibet’s high-altitude plateau, this one came from tropical Taiwan – dramatically expanding the known Denisovan range. The discovery shattered previous assumptions about where Denisovans could live.
“It’s now apparent that the Denisovans must have had a wider environmental range than the Neanderthals, from cold, open environments in northern Asia to subtropical woodlands in Southeast Asia,” said one human origins researcher at the Natural History Museum in London.
The humid Taiwanese climate had degraded all DNA in the fossil, forcing researchers to employ an innovative protein analysis technique. After examining preserved collagen and tooth enamel proteins, they found unique molecular markers that matched other Denisovan specimens. The team also identified male-specific proteins, confirming the jawbone came from an adult Denisovan man who lived sometime between 10,000 and 70,000 years ago or as far back as 130,000 to 190,000 years.
The find holds special meaning for many in Asia and the Pacific, where modern populations carry traces of Denisovan DNA – evidence of ancient interbreeding with early Homo sapiens. Findings like Penghu 1 “help expand our understanding of where those interactions might have taken place,” said a geneticist not involved with the research.
Now housed at the National Museum of Natural Science in Taiwan, the once-overlooked fossil highlights that groundbreaking discoveries can emerge from the most unexpected places. As scientists apply protein analysis to other remains, more surprises may be just around the corner.