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Middle and Late Pleistocene Denisovan subsistence at Baishiya Karst Cave

Xia, Huan, Zhang, Dongju, Wang, Jian, Fagernäs, Zandra, Li, Ting, Li, Yuanxin, Yao, Juanting, Lin, Dongpeng, Troché, Gaudry, Smith, Geoff M., and others. (2024) Middle and Late Pleistocene Denisovan subsistence at Baishiya Karst Cave. Nature, 632 (8023). pp. 108-113. ISSN 0028-0836. E-ISSN 1476-4687. (doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07612-9) (KAR id:106567)

Abstract

Genetic and fragmented palaeoanthropological data suggest that Denisovans were once widely distributed across eastern Eurasia . Despite limited archaeological evidence, this indicates that Denisovans were capable of adapting to a highly diverse range of environments. Here we integrate zooarchaeological and proteomic analyses of the late Middle to Late Pleistocene faunal assemblage from Baishiya Karst Cave on the Tibetan Plateau, where a Denisovan mandible and Denisovan sedimentary mitochondrial DNA were found . Using zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry, we identify a new hominin rib specimen that dates to approximately 48-32 thousand years ago (layer 3). Shotgun proteomic analysis taxonomically assigns this specimen to the Denisovan lineage, extending their presence at Baishiya Karst Cave well into the Late Pleistocene. Throughout the stratigraphic sequence, the faunal assemblage is dominated by Caprinae, together with megaherbivores, carnivores, small mammals and birds. The high proportion of anthropogenic modifications on the bone surfaces suggests that Denisovans were the primary agent of faunal accumulation. The chaîne opératoire of carcass processing indicates that animal taxa were exploited for their meat, marrow and hides, while bone was also used as raw material for the production of tools. Our results shed light on the behaviour of Denisovans and their adaptations to the diverse and fluctuating environments of the late Middle and Late Pleistocene of eastern Eurasia.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1038/s41586-024-07612-9
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China (https://ror.org/01h0zpd94)
European Research Council (https://ror.org/0472cxd90)
Novo Nordisk Foundation (https://ror.org/04txyc737)
SWORD Depositor: JISC Publications Router
Depositing User: JISC Publications Router
Date Deposited: 19 Jul 2024 13:28 UTC
Last Modified: 02 Aug 2024 13:20 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/106567 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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