The Denisovan genome from Denisova Cave

Record summary

The publication of the Denisova 3 genome identified a previously unrecognized archaic hominin population from a finger bone recovered in Denisova Cave. It matters for comparison because later populations in Island Southeast Asia, Oceania and parts of Asia inherited Denisovan-related ancestry, making it central to migration and admixture models. The specimen itself is tiny, and the population history reconstructed from it remains incomplete. Researchers should distinguish the genetic population label “Denisovan” from a formally named species and account for later evidence of multiple Denisovan-related groups.