Embark on a captivating exploration in our latest video, where archaeologists may have unearthed a Denisovan skull in Australia, unraveling potential implications for our comprehension of human evolution. Recent DNA studies revealing interbreeding between Papuan Highlanders and a Denisovan-related group, possibly as recent as 15,000 years ago, prompt the search for skulls with archaic features in Papua and Australia.
Delving deeper, scientists have identified Denisovan populations in Southeast Asia, diverging around 363,000 years ago from their Siberian counterparts. The Denisovan lineage in Australia and New Guinea, splitting from northern Denisovans approximately 283,000 years ago, suggests their arrival in the region around 300,000 years ago. This intriguing discovery challenges previous assumptions about static population histories in South and East Asian regions, highlighting the dynamic nature of Pleistocene human evolution. Join us as we navigate through the intricate details of this groundbreaking revelation.