Denisovan
extinct species of early humans (Homo)
The Denisovans or Denisova hominins ( də-NIS-ə-və(nz)) are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic human that ranged across Asia during the Middle to Late Pleistocene, approximately 200,000–32,000 years ago. Most of what is known about Denisovans comes from DNA evidence. While many recent fossils have been found and tentatively identified as Denisovan, the first Denisovans discovered were known from few physical remains. Consequently, no formal species name has been established. However, an analysis of the mitochondrial DNA and endogenous proteins from the Harbin cranium, which had been given the name Homo longi, showed that this skull represents a Denisovan.
In a study published in September 2025, remains from six additional sites in China including the one-million-year-old Yunxian man were proposed to be related to the Homo longi lineage with the genetically confirmed Denisovans. Other authors have included other Denisovan remains, like Penghu 1 and the Xiahe mandible, within the species Homo juluensis.
The first identification of a Denisovan individual occurred in 2010, based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) extracted from a juvenile finger bone excavated from the Siberian Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains in 2008. Nuclear DNA indicates close affinities with Neanderthals. The cave was also periodically inhabited by Neanderthals.
The public source identifies “Denisovan” as extinct species of early humans (Homo). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Denisovan, extinct and species.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q151055. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2025, 2010 and 2008.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Denisovan” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.