Journal Article

A Middle Pleistocene Denisovan molar from the Annamite Chain of northern Laos

Xing, Song, Joannes-Boyau, Renaud, Ponche, Jean-Luc, Cappellini, Enrico, Sikora, Martin, Aubaile, Françoise, Olsen, Jesper V., Zachwieja, Alexandra, Souksavatdy, Viengkeo, Bailey, Richard M., Bourgon, Nicolas, Morley, Mike W., Bacon, Anne-Marie, Shackelford, Laura, Sihanam, Daovee, Pan, Lei, Vinner, Lasse, Boualaphane, Souliphane, Gaunitz, Charleen, McColl, Hugh, Antoine, Pierre-Olivier, Sayavongkhamdy, Thongsa, Demeter, Fabrice, Westaway, Kira E., Skinner, Matthew M., Luangkhoth, Thonglith, Zhao, Jian-Xin, Willerslev, Eske, Hublin, Jean-Jacques, Dunn, Tyler E., Duringer, Philippe, Welker, Frido, Boesch, Quentin, Patole-Edoumba, Elise, Crozier, Françoise, Zanolli, Clément, Rüther, Patrick L., Sichanthongtip, Phonephanh, Frangeul, Sébastien, Suzzoni, Eric

2022

Overview

The Pleistocene presence of the genus Homo in continental Southeast Asia is primarily evidenced by a sparse stone tool record and rare human remains. Here we report a Middle Pleistocene hominin specimen from Laos, with the discovery of a molar from the Tam Ngu Hao 2 (Cobra Cave) limestone cave in the Annamite Mountains. The age of the fossil-bearing breccia ranges between 164–131 kyr, based on the Bayesian modelling of luminescence dating of the sedimentary matrix from which it was recovered, U-series dating of an overlying flowstone, and U-series–ESR dating of associated faunal teeth. Analyses of the internal structure of the molar in tandem with palaeoproteomic analyses of the enamel indicate that the tooth derives from a young, likely female, Homo individual. The close morphological affinities with the Xiahe specimen from China indicate that they belong to the same taxon and that Tam Ngu Hao 2 most likely represents a Denisovan. Evidence for the presence of Homo during the Middle Pleistocene is limited in continental Southeast Asia. Here, the authors report a hominin molar from Tam Ngu Hao 2 (Cobra Cave), dated to 164–131 kyr. They use morphological and paleoproteomic analysis to show that it likely belonged to a female Denisovan.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 59/78 / 631/181/19/2471 / 631/181/27 / 631/181/414 / 631/337/475 / 82/58 / Bayesian analysis / Breccia / Dating / Dental enamel / Females / Hominids / Humanities and Social Sciences / Limestone / Morphology / Mountains / multidisciplinary / Pleistocene / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Sciences of the Universe / Teeth