About

• Denisovans are an extinct species of hominid and a close relative to modern humans. 
• They are a recent addition to the human family tree. Scientists first identified Denisovan remains from a cave in Siberia in 2010. The researchers named the archaic humans Denisovans after the cave in Siberia where the fossil was discovered.
• Denisovans share a common ancestor with both modern humans and Neanderthals. This common ancestor, called Homo heidelbergensis, most likely lived in Africa.
• They may have had dark skin, dark hair and dark eyes. The Denisovan genome appears to have low genetic diversity, which means their population may never have been very large.

Why in news?

• Bone fragments discovered in Baishiya Karst Cave, which is situated 10,760 feet (3,280 meters) above sea level on the Tibetan Plateau in China are offering rare insight into the lives of Denisovans. 

What do the findings reveal?

• Most of the bones were identified as belonging to blue sheep, also called bharal, a goat species still seen on high slope mountains and cliffs in the Himalayas. Other bone remains came from woolly rhinos, yaks, small mammals like marmots, birds, and even from the spotted hyena, a large carnivore that prowled the region called the Ganjia Basin.
• Researchers used ancient protein analysis on these remains to reveal that the Denisovans exploited various animals for their meat and skin. 
• They also excavated and identified a rib bone from a Denisovan individual dating to 48,000-32,000 years ago – the youngest Denisovan fossil yet known.