Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

A Middle Pleistocene Denisovan molar from the Annamite Chain of northern Laos

Demeter, Fabrice, Zanolli, Clément, Westaway, K.E., Joannes-Boyau, R., Duringer, Philippe, Morley, M.W., Welker, Frido, Ruether, P, Skinner, Matthew M., McColl, H, and others. (2022) A Middle Pleistocene Denisovan molar from the Annamite Chain of northern Laos. Nature Communications, 13 (2557). ISSN 2041-1723. (doi:10.1038/s41467-022-29923-z) (KAR id:96738)

Abstract

The Pleistocene presence of the genus Homo in continental Southeast Asia is primarily evidenced by a sparse stone tool record and rare human remains. Here we report a Middle Pleistocene hominin specimen from Laos, with the discovery of a molar from the Tam Ngu Hao 2 (Cobra Cave) limestone cave in the Annamite Mountains. The age of the fossil-bearing breccia ranges between 164–131 kyr, based on the Bayesian modelling of luminescence dating of the sedimentary matrix from which it was recovered, U-series dating of an overlying flowstone, and U-series–ESR dating of associated faunal teeth. Analyses of the internal structure of the molar in tandem with palaeoproteomic analyses of the enamel indicate that the tooth derives from a young, likely female, Homo individual. The close morphological affinities with the Xiahe specimen from China indicate that they belong to the same taxon and that Tam Ngu Hao 2 most likely represents a Denisovan.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1038/s41467-022-29923-z
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation
Funders: University of Kent (https://ror.org/00xkeyj56)
Depositing User: Matthew Skinner
Date Deposited: 05 Sep 2022 06:58 UTC
Last Modified: 06 Sep 2022 14:28 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/96738 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.