Denisovan facts for kids
The Denisovans are an ancient group of humans. They are also called Denisova hominins. Scientists believe they might be an extinct species or a type of human (subspecies).
They were first found in March 2010. This happened in the Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. This cave was also home to Neanderthals and modern humans.
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Discovering the Denisovans
The first discovery was a small piece of a finger bone. It belonged to a young female. She lived about 41,000 years ago.
What DNA Tells Us
Scientists studied the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the finger bone. This DNA showed that Denisovans were different from Neanderthals and modern humans. Later, more DNA analysis showed that Denisovans and Neanderthals came from a common ancestor.
This common ancestor lived about 1 million years ago. It was a very old human relative. Scientists also think Denisovans migrated out of Africa. This happened after Homo erectus but before most modern humans.
Denisovan Fossils Found
So far, scientists have found fossils from four different Denisovans. They were all found in Denisova Cave. These are named Denisova 2, Denisova 3, Denisova 4, and Denisova 8.
Who Were They?
Denisova 2 and Denisova 3 were young females. Denisova 4 and Denisova 8 were adult males. Scientists know this from studying their DNA.
Denisovan Body Parts
Only a few body parts of Denisovans have been found. These include a finger bone, a toe bone, and two teeth. The finger bone came from a woman. It was wider than a modern human finger. This suggests Denisovans were stronger than people today.
Images for kids
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Denisova 4, a molar tooth
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The evolution and geographic spread of Denisovans compared to Neanderthals, Homo heidelbergensis and Homo erectus
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Denisovans appear to have crossed the Wallace Line.
See also
In Spanish: Hombre de Denísova para niños
