Ancient Denisovans may have been taller than other early human species, according to new fossil evidence recovered from the waters off Taiwan. Two leg bones pulled from the seafloor of the Penghu Channel suggest that at least some Denisovans grew to heights rivaling or exceeding modern humans, challenging long-held ideas about body size in ancient hominins.
The study, led by Yousuke Kaifu of the University Museum at the University of Tokyo, was posted as a preprint on bioRxiv.
Researchers analyzed a thighbone and a shinbone, known as Penghu 2 and Penghu 3, which had been dredged from the sea years ago and later identified as belonging to Denisovans, an extinct group of early humans related to Neanderthals.
Ancient proteins and bone size reveal a Denisovan giant
To confirm the bones came from Denisovans, scientists studied ancient proteins preserved in the fossils. They detected a specific genetic marker in a collagen protein that has only ever been seen in Denisovan remains and not in Neanderthals or modern humans. The team also constructed a family tree using the protein data, which placed both bones firmly within the Denisovan branch alongside previously known specimens.
Based on the size and shape of the bones, researchers have estimated that the individual represented by the femur stood about 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed roughly 183 pounds. The tibia belonged to an even larger individual, estimated at about 6 feet 3 inches tall and around 200 pounds.
Both figures place these Denisovans among the largest members of the human family during the Ice Age era, exceeding even earlier Homo erectus populations and later Homo sapiens groups from eastern Asia.
New findings show Denisovans were taller than other human species
The findings contradict the widely accepted Bergmann’s rule, which predicts that human populations living closer to the equator tend to be physically smaller than those in colder, higher-latitude regions. Taiwan is situated at a relatively low latitude, yet these Denisovans were unusually large, suggesting that other factors, such as diet or hunting habits, may have shaped their size.
Researchers note that their large body size may also explain why some Denisovans had notably larger brains, since the size of this organ often scales with overall body mass. Another unexpected feature identified on the thighbone was a pilaster, a ridge of bone usually associated with modern humans who lead physically active, mobile lifestyles.
Its presence in the Denisovan femur raises new questions about whether these ancient humans shared similar movement patterns with early Homo sapiens. It is possible that the trait entered their population through interbreeding with modern humans who passed through the region thousands of years ago.
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