An ancient jawbone discovered in Taiwan has been identified as belonging to the Denisovans, an extinct group of human ancestors. This discovery, reported in a study published on Thursday, expands the known geographical range of the Denisovans. Previously, most fossils of this mysterious group were found in places such as Siberia and Tibet. However, the recent find in the Penghu Channel near the Taiwan Strait suggests that these early humans may have lived much further south than originally thought. The jawbone was initially sold to an antique shop before being donated to Taiwan’s National Museum of Natural Science.

Scientists from Taiwan, Japan, and Denmark analyzed the jawbone and discovered protein sequences similar to those found in Denisovan fossils from Siberia. This finding is significant because it provides new evidence of the Denisovans’ presence in East Asia. Despite the achievement of extracting proteins, experts, including Rick Potts from the Smithsonian Institution, caution that more research is needed to confirm the identification. The small sample size may not provide a complete picture. However, this discovery offers new opportunities for further studies on Denisovans and their interactions with other human species like Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Understanding these interactions can provide valuable insights into human evolution and migration patterns.