What’s going on
- Researchers extracted mitochondrial DNA from the Harbin skull, often called “Dragon Man.” The DNA matched Denisovans.
- The skull was discovered in Harbin, in China's Heilongjiang province. Found decades ago, it later entered scientific study after being preserved privately for years.
- Denisovans were first identified in 2010 using DNA from a finger bone and teeth found in Denisova Cave in Siberia. Since then, evidence has come mainly from genetic traces in living people and a small number of fossil fragments.
- The Harbin skull is unusually complete compared with most Denisovan-linked finds. That makes it useful for linking Denisovan DNA to a specific skull shape and facial structure.
- Academic researchers carried out the work using ancient DNA methods focused on mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA is inherited through the maternal line and can sometimes be recovered even when other genetic material is degraded.
- Scientific institutions involved in human origins research have treated the result as part of an ongoing effort to map Denisovan diversity across Asia. As with other ancient DNA findings, the identification depends on lab controls and replication standards, typically assessed through peer review.
Why it matters
- A confirmed Denisovan skull gives scientists a clearer physical reference point for a group previously defined mostly by genetics. It also helps place Denisovans more firmly in East Asia, not just Siberia.
- Denisovan ancestry is present in varying amounts in some modern populations, especially in parts of Asia and Oceania. Better fossil identification can improve how researchers connect genetic signals in living people to specific ancient populations and migration patterns.