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Paleolithic inhabitants of Denisova Cave

Bibliographic Data

ID4635143
AuthorsMikhail V Shunkov (0000-0003-1388-2308, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, corresponding author), M B Kozlikin (0000-0001-5082-3345, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography)
Year2024
Issue3(66
Pages116-126
Publication date2024-09-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueVestnik arheologii, antropologii i ètnografii (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1811-7465 • E-ISSN: 2071-0437
PublisherTyumen Scientific Center of the SB RAS (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.20874/2071-0437-2024-66-3-10
OpenAlexW4402446040
LanguageEN
References cited22

Based on paleogenetic analysis of anthropological remains from Denisova Cave in Altai Mountains, a previ-ously unknown population of fossil people, the Denisovans, was discovered, and a complex picture of their inter-action with Neanderthals was established. Currently, 17 skeletal remains of Paleolithic hominins discovered in the cave have been identified, and fragments of ancient human DNA have been isolated from its Pleistocene depo-sits. This work is devoted to the characteristics of the Denisova Cave inhabitants based on a comprehensive analysis of currently known paleoanthropological and paleogenetic data. We show that the oldest human remains in Altai were found in the basal deposits of the Denisova Cave. They belong to the Denisovans, hominins that share a common ancestor with Neanderthals but a different population history. The lower culture-bearing layers with finds from the initial stage of the Middle Paleolithic contain fragments of genomes that differ from the Denisovan genomes from the overlying sediments, indicating the existence of two different populations of Denisovans. The earliest evidence of the appearance of Neanderthals in Altai was also found in Denisova Cave. A complete genome sequence was isolated from the phalanx of the foot, which received the conditional name Altai Neanderthal. Between the populations of Neanderthals and Denisovans in Altai, there was a regular ex-change of genetic material

Ancient DNA · Archaeology · Biological evolution · Biology · Cave · Evolutionary biology · Geography · Hominidae · Human evolution · Middle Paleolithic · Mousterian · Neanderthal · Paleoanthropology · Pleistocene · Population · Upper Paleolithic · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Demography · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Genetics · Paleontology

  • Genetic history of an archaic hominin group from Denisova Cave in Siberia

    Open Access•David Reich, Richard E Green et al.•Nature•2010

  • Age estimates for hominin fossils and the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic at Denisova Cave

    Open Access•Katerina Douka, Viviane Slon et al.•Nature•2019

  • The complete genome sequence of a Neanderthal from the Altai Mountains

    Open Access•Kay Prüfer, Fernando Racimo et al.•Nature•2014

  • Distal manual phalanges of Upper Pleistocene Homo from Altai caves

    Open Access•Maria Mednikova•Moscow University Anthropology…•2020

  • A Micro Computerized Tomography (X-Ray Microscopy) of the Hand Phalanx of the Denisova Girl

    Open Access•M B Mednikova, Maria Mednikova et al.•Archaeology Ethnology and…•2013

  • Distal Phalanx of the Hand of Homo from Denisova Cave Stratum 12

    Open Access•M B Mednikova, Maria Mednikova•Archaeology Ethnology and…•2013

  • The Morphology of Permanent Molars from the Paleolithic Layers of Denisova Cave

    Open Access•Alisa Zubova, Tatiana Chikisheva et al.•Archaeology Ethnology and…•2017

  • A proximal pedal phalanx of a Paleolithic hominin from denisova cave, Altai

    Open Access•M B Mednikova, Maria Mednikova•Archaeology Ethnology and…•2011

Citation velocityhistorical
Highly citedNo
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