Taiwan Jawbone Identified as Denisovan

Scientists have identified an ancient jawbone discovered in the Penghu Channel near Taiwan as belonging to Denisovans, an enigmatic group of early human ancestors. The jawbone was initially recovered by a fishing operation, sold to an antique shop, and later donated to Taiwan's National Museum of Natural Science. Due to the fossil's condition, ancient DNA could not be studied, but scientists from Taiwan, Japan, and Denmark, including Takumi Tsutaya from the The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, extracted protein sequences. Analysis showed these sequences resembled those from a Denisovan fossil found in Siberia. The findings, published in Science (journal), expand the known geographical range of Denisovans. Rick Potts of the United States — Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Project, while praising the protein recovery, seeks further data for full confirmation. Frido Welker, another co-author, noted Denisovans' adaptability and the mystery surrounding their extinction.