“Denisovan” isn’t a dinosaur, a cave system, or a geological period. It’s an early human species, known mostly from a handful of bone fragments, teeth, and one striking jawbone.
✅ Must Know
An Early Human Species, Not a Dinosaur
- The Answer “Denisovan” refers to an early human species. It is not a dinosaur, a Northeast India cave system, or a geological period.
- Named For The name comes from Denisova Cave in Siberia, where the first Denisovan fossils were identified.
- Sparse Fossils Denisovan fossil evidence is extremely limited. It includes a finger bone, some teeth, and a skull fragment. It also includes the Xiahe mandible, found on the Tibetan Plateau. That mandible was the first confirmed Denisovan fossil outside Denisova Cave.
- Interbreeding Denisovans interbred with modern humans. Their genetic legacy survives today in populations across Southeast Asia, India, and the Pacific.
Test Yourself
📝 Previous Year Questions
UPSC CSP 2019 — What “Denisovan” Refers To
- UPSC 2019 The correct answer is an early human species. Asked as: “The word ‘Denisovan’ is sometimes mentioned in media in reference to…” (UPSC CSP 2019, GS Paper I).
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