Ancient Mystery Deepens With Discovery of Denisovan Remains in Tibetan Cave

Research reveals that Denisovans, an ancient human species, occupied Tibet’s Baishiya Karst Cave for over 160,000 years, adapting to harsh climates and utilizing diverse animal resources. Newly discovered fossils and innovative analysis of bone fragments highlight their survival strategies during ice ages and interglacial periods.

According to a new study published in Nature, bone remains discovered in a Tibetan cave at an altitude of 3,280 meters suggest that an ancient group of humans lived there for many millennia.

The Denisovans are an extinct species of ancient human that lived at the same time and in the same places as Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Only a handful of Denisovan remains have ever been discovered by archaeologists. Little is known about the group, including when they became extinct, but evidence exists to suggest they interbred with both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.