Human evolution: Denisovan bones and now artifacts (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, November 30, 2021, 15:32 (1087 days ago) @ David Turell

Deeper digging at 200,000 years ago in the cave:

https://www.livescience.com/oldest-denisovan-fossils-in-siberian-cave

"Scientists have unearthed the oldest fossils to date of the mysterious human lineage known as the Denisovans. With these 200,000-year-old bones, researchers have also for the first time discovered stone artifacts linked to these extinct relatives of modern humans, a new study find

***

"'This is the first time we can be sure that Denisovans were the makers of the archaeological remains we found associated with their bone fragments," Douka said.

"The new findings suggest these newfound Denisovans lived during a time when, according to previous research, the climate was warm and comparable to today, in a locale favorable to human life that included broad-leaved forests and open steppe. Butchered and burnt animal remains found in the cave suggest the Denisovans may have fed on deer, gazelles, horses, bison and woolly rhinoceroses.

"'We can infer that Denisovans were well-adapted to their environments, utilizing every resource available to them," Douka said.

"The stone artifacts found in the same layer as these Denisovan fossils are mostly scraping tools, which were perhaps used for dealing with animal skins. The raw material for these items likely came from river sediment just outside the entrance to the cave, and the river likely helped the Denisovans when they sought to hunt, the scientists noted.

***

"The stone tools linked with these new fossils have no direct counterparts in north or central Asia. However, they do bear some resemblance to items found in Israel dating between 250,000 and 400,000 years ago — a period linked with major shifts in human technology, such as the routine use of fire, the researchers noted.

"The new study found that Denisovans may not have been the only occupants of the cave at this time. Bones of carnivores such as wolves and wild dogs suggest Denisovans may have actively competed with these predators over prey and perhaps the cave itself."

Comment: each group of early humans followed the same path of development of lifestyles as God's endpoint of evolution.