Science Bytes
Massive Denisovan Leg Bones Dredged Off Taiwan
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For years, Denisovans were a phantom lineage known mostly from DNA, teeth, and a single finger bone. Now, two fossilized leg bones dredged from a seafloor channel off the coast of Taiwan provide rare evidence of their actual body architecture. By analyzing ancient collagen proteins for a unique amino acid mutation, researchers confirmed the bones belong to this elusive group and demonstrate that…