Ref ID:	37009
Ref Type:	Journal Article
Authors:	Demeter, Fabrice Zanolli, Clément Westaway, Kira E. Joannes-Boyau, Renaud Duringer, Philippe Morley, Mike W. Welker, Frido Rüther, Patrick L. Skinner, Matthew M. McColl, Hugh Gaunitz, Charleen Vinner, Lasse Dunn, Tyler E. Olsen, Jesper V. Sikora, Martin Ponche, Jean-Luc Suzzoni, Eric Frangeul, Sébastien Boesch, Quentin Antoine, Pierre-Olivier Pan, Lei Xing, Song Zhao, Jian-Xin Bailey, Richard M. Boualaphane, Souliphane Sichanthongtip, Phonephanh Sihanam, Daovee Patole-Edoumba, Elise Aubaile, Françoise Crozier, Françoise Bourgon, Nicolas Zachwieja, Alexandra Luangkhoth, Thonglith Souksavatdy, Viengkeo Sayavongkhamdy, Thongsa Cappellini, Enrico Bacon, Anne-Marie Hublin, Jean-Jacques Willerslev, Eske Shackelford, Laura
Title:	A Middle Pleistocene Denisovan molar from the Annamite Chain of northern Laos
Date:	2022
Source:	Nature Communications
DOI:	10.1038/s41467-022-29923-z Article Number 2557
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.
Date Available:	5/17/2022
Volume:	13
Page Start:	1
Page End:	17