Researchers identified Denisovan remains at Bianfu Cave in Yunnan Province, China, by analyzing proteins in more than 60,000 bone fragments, even though DNA was not preserved in the fossils.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by primary Nature publication and multiple independent journalistic sources (CNN, KSL/AP, anthropology.net) with consistent details on location, method, sample size, and DNA preservation failure. [tier=gold indep_score=0.9 clusters=4 claim_tier=notable | framework convergence=partial on The two companion Nature papers on Bianfu Cave excavation and proteomic/ZooMS analysis (upstreams: Nature study (Rao et al. 2026, 'Ancient proteins identify various Denisovan remains from Southwest China')) — publishers independent, evidence may not be | kind=empirical eligibility=high]
Sources
- Scientists Find a Trove of Denisovan Fossils and Tools in Southwest ... (seed:science_and_space)
- https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/09/science/china-denisovan-fossil-discovery (corroboration)
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10976-9 (corroboration)
- https://www.ksl.com/article/51621950/cave-fossils-in-china-reveal-lives-of-mysterious-human-relatives (corroboration)
- https://www.anthropology.net/p/five-denisovan-fossils-in-china-confirmed (corroboration)