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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Did the mysterious Denisovans make these prehistoric etchings?

Archaeologists have turned up inscribed bones from a site in northern China previously linked to the ancient hominins.
Bone specimen engraved with ochre

The lines on this animal bone, which dates to more than 100,000 years ago, might have been inscribed by one of the ancient humans called Denisovans. Credit: F. d’Errico & L. Doyon

Two decorated bones might have been crafted by the enigmatic ancient humans known as Denisovans, who interbred with early modern humans tens of thousands of years ago.

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Nature 572, 419 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-02432-8

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