TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Researchers identified a fossilized jawbone, discovered by Taiwanese fishermen in the waters near the Penghu Islands, as belonging to a Denisovan ancestor on Friday (April 11). A collaborative study by the University of Tokyo and Taiwan's National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS, 國立自然科學博物館) confirmed the jawbone's origins through ancient protein sequence analysis, offering significant insights into human evolution.
NHK reported that the University of Tokyo researchers conducted a detailed analysis of the jawbone, extracting proteins and examining amino acid sequences. They identified two unique variations that confirmed the remains belonged to a Denisovan male. This discovery marks the third global finding of Denisovan fossils, following Siberia and Tibet.
Denisovans, an extinct hominin group closely related to Neanderthals, lived approximately 380,000 to 50,000 years ago. The University of Tokyo team highlighted that this discovery in Taiwanese waters demonstrates the Denisovans' adaptability and confirms their widespread presence across Asia. Professor Yosuke Kaifu expressed his surprise, stating, "I originally thought it might be a type of ape because of its thick jaw and large teeth, so I was shocked when I discovered it was an ancient Denisovan. This made me realize again how complex the history of humans in Asia is."
The fossil, known as "Penghu No. 1" (澎湖1號), was retrieved by fishermen during bottom trawling in the Taiwan Strait and eventually donated to the National Museum of Natural Science in 2008. Researchers published their findings in the journal Science. The jawbone will be featured in a special exhibition, "Denisovans to Taiwan," starting May 22 at the museum. ★