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

Author

Listed:
  • Fabrice Demeter

    (Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen
    Université de Paris)

  • Clément Zanolli

    (Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199)

  • Kira E. Westaway

    (Macquarie University)

  • Renaud Joannes-Boyau

    (Southern Cross University
    University of Johannesburg)

  • Philippe Duringer

    (Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg (IPGS), UMR 7516 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg)

  • Mike W. Morley

    (Flinders University)

  • Frido Welker

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Patrick L. Rüther

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Matthew M. Skinner

    (University of Kent
    Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)

  • Hugh McColl

    (Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen)

  • Charleen Gaunitz

    (Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen)

  • Lasse Vinner

    (Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen)

  • Tyler E. Dunn

    (Creighton University School of Medicine)

  • Jesper V. Olsen

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Martin Sikora

    (Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen)

  • Jean-Luc Ponche

    (Université de Strasbourg, Laboratoire Image, Ville Environnement, UMR 7362, UdS CNRS)

  • Eric Suzzoni

    (Spitteurs Pan, Technical Cave Supervision and Exploration)

  • Sébastien Frangeul

    (Spitteurs Pan, Technical Cave Supervision and Exploration)

  • Quentin Boesch

    (Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg (IPGS), UMR 7516 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg)

  • Pierre-Olivier Antoine

    (Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRD)

  • Lei Pan

    (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology CAS
    Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology CAS)

  • Song Xing

    (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology CAS
    CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment)

  • Jian-Xin Zhao

    (University of Queensland)

  • Richard M. Bailey

    (University of Oxford)

  • Souliphane Boualaphane

    (Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism)

  • Phonephanh Sichanthongtip

    (Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism)

  • Daovee Sihanam

    (Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism)

  • Elise Patole-Edoumba

    (Museum d’histoire Naturelle de La Rochelle)

  • Françoise Aubaile

    (Université de Paris)

  • Françoise Crozier

    (IRD, DIADE)

  • Nicolas Bourgon

    (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)

  • Alexandra Zachwieja

    (University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth)

  • Thonglith Luangkhoth

    (Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism)

  • Viengkeo Souksavatdy

    (Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism)

  • Thongsa Sayavongkhamdy

    (Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism)

  • Enrico Cappellini

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Anne-Marie Bacon

    (Université de Paris, BABEL CNRS UMR)

  • Jean-Jacques Hublin

    (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
    Collège de France)

  • Eske Willerslev

    (Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen
    University of Cambridge
    Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
    University of Southern Denmark)

  • Laura Shackelford

    (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabrice Demeter & Clément Zanolli & Kira E. Westaway & Renaud Joannes-Boyau & Philippe Duringer & Mike W. Morley & Frido Welker & Patrick L. Rüther & Matthew M. Skinner & Hugh McColl & Charleen Gaunit, 2022. "A Middle Pleistocene Denisovan molar from the Annamite Chain of northern Laos," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-29923-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29923-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sarah E. Freidline & Kira E. Westaway & Renaud Joannes-Boyau & Philippe Duringer & Jean-Luc Ponche & Mike W. Morley & Vito C. Hernandez & Meghan S. McAllister-Hayward & Hugh McColl & Clément Zanolli &, 2023. "Early presence of Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia by 86–68 kyr at Tam Pà Ling, Northern Laos," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    2. Christopher J. Bae & Xiujie Wu, 2024. "Making sense of eastern Asian Late Quaternary hominin variability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-3, December.

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