Maayan Harel
An extinct group of humans who was once widely distributed by Asia do not have an official scientific name. Part of reason is archaeological, and part is a legal question.
The Denisovans, an extinct human group that once populated much of Asia, continues to lack an official scientific name more than a decade after its discovery.
The absence of scientific designation as a species results from a complex intersection between archaeological evidence and taxonomic regulations that govern the way we classify ancient humans, explains.
First identified in 2010 from a finger bone fragment found in the Denisova Cave In the Altai mountains of Siberia, the denisovans are one of the more significant paleontological discoveries of the last decades.
DNA analysis revealed that they were not not Homo sapiens neither neanderthalsbut one distinguished group that crossed with our ancestors.
Currently, many people, particularly in Southeast Asia and Melanesia, are carriers of denisovano genetic materialconfirming that these ancient humans were once widely distributed throughout East Asia.
The taxonomic challenge
The absence of an official name of species derives from scientific conventions rigorous nomenclature that require detailed physical descriptions of specimens, not just genetic evidence.
Denisovano DNA is moving away from Neanderthals as much as the Neanderthal DNA differs from Homo sapiens – Which suggests that deserve status of species. However, taxonomic rules require a comprehensive skeletal analysis, which has been difficult to obtain until recently.
In June this year, two studies led by the paleontologist Qiaomei Fu They found molecular evidence that allowed the identification of the skull in northern China ,.
This was the first time investigators had access To a complete denisovan face, which allowed a significant advance in understanding its physical appearance.
Other denisovan fossils identified in the meantime include a maxillary of the high tibet plateau and, both identified through preserved proteins.
Researchers are now working to identify which of the numerous mysterious fossils of Asian hominids may be denisovan.
One conducted in 2024 by aA equipa their leader por xjun ni ni xjunresearcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, analyzed 57 Hominid fossilsrevealing three distinct groups among eurasiatic hominids: modern, neanderthal, and a third nichewhich includes confirmed denisovan remains together with previously not classified specimens.
This third group possibly encompasses fossils found in Hualongdong, southern China, including 300,000 years with 14 teeth, as well as the old skull from there and partial Jinniushan skeleton, both about 260,000 years.
However, there is still Disagreement among investigators on which fossils They truly belong to the Denisovana lineage.
The controversy of the nomenclature
In recent years, several proposals have been emerging to designate denisovans as a species.
In 2021, the researchers who discovered Harbin’s “Dragon Man” skull proposed the designation “A person long“. In turn, anthropologists Christopher Bae and Xiujie Wu suggested, based on the fossils found on the Xujiayao archaeological site in northern China, the name of “Juluensis”.
This last proposal faces challenges, as its proponents excluded the Harbin skull from its definition of species.
Anatoly derevanthe archaeologist who originally discovered the first fossils in the cave of Denisova, proposed the name of “Homo sapiens denisovan“. Other proposed designations include“Homo denisovensis“, “Homo denisensis“, e “Homo sapiens altaiensis“.
However, most of these proposals It lacks formal descriptions appropriate required by taxonomic rules.
Priority and Precedence
The taxonomic nomenclature usually follows the principle of “first to arrive, wins the place” – which dá a “A person long”Potential advantagesince the name was proposed three years before “Man Juluensis“.
Researchers also researched whether older and more obscure publications could contain valid names for Asian fossils who could reveal denisovans, but found no proper described specimens that won precedence.
The growing collection of identified denisovan fossils brings scientists clos to providing comprehensive description of species which is required for official taxonomic recognition.
Although the Harbin skull has provided crucial facial characteristicsthe investigators still need a complete skeletonwhich is necessary for a thorough morphological analysis.
The identification process It remains challengingbecause it requires DNA or proteins preserved for molecular confirmationthat many old specimens lack.
However, increasingly advanced analytical techniques continue to reveal new deniso -specimens, gradually filling in our understanding of their physical characteristics and geographical distribution.
Thus, while the scientific community moves toward consensus on which fossils represent denisovans and what name should take taxonomic priority, these ancient humans are getting closer to receiving their Official designation of species – that has long been due to them.
Regardless of their eventual scientific name, the denisovans have already guaranteed their place as a crucial piece in the puzzle of human evolutionrepresenting a sophisticated human group that successfully adapted to various Asian environments for hundreds of thousands of years.
