Middle and Late Pleistocene Denisovan subsistence at Baishiya Karst Cave

• Published in: Nature (London) 2024-08, Vol.632 (8023), p.108-113
• Main Authors: Xia, Huan, Zhang, Dongju, Wang, Jian, Fagernäs, Zandra, Li, Ting, Li, Yuanxin, Yao, Juanting, Lin, Dongpeng, Troché, Gaudry, Smith, Geoff M., Chen, Xiaoshan, Cheng, Ting, Shen, Xuke, Han, Yuanyuan, Olsen, Jesper V., Shen, Zhongwei, Pei, Zhiqi, Hublin, Jean-Jacques, Chen, Fahu, Welker, Frido
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anthropogenic factors; Archaeology; Birds; Bone and Bones - anatomy & histology; Bone and Bones - chemistry; Bones; Carnivores; Caves; China; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; Fossils; Genetic analysis; Genetic diversity; Herbivores; History, Ancient; Hominidae - classification; Hominidae - genetics; Hominids; Homo sapiens denisova; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Karst; Mandible - anatomy & histology; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Mitochondrial DNA; Morphology; multidisciplinary; Nucleotide sequence; Phylogeny; Pleistocene; Proteomics; Raw materials; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Scientific imaging; Shotguns; Stratigraphy; Taxonomy
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07612-9

Genetic and fragmented palaeoanthropological data suggest that Denisovans were once widely distributed across eastern Eurasia 1 – 3 . 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 3 , 4 . 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. Zooarchaeological and proteomic analyses of bones from Baishiya Karst Cave on the Tibetan Plateau identify a hominin rib specimen, and provide insight into the ways Denisovans interacted with their surrounding environment and made use of animal resources.