# Scientists Identify First Denisovan Forearm Bone in Southwest China Cave

*2026-09-11 18:01 UTC · Science · 2 min read*

> A newly analyzed forearm bone from Bianfu Cave in Yunnan gives scientists their first direct look at Denisovan limb anatomy and extends the group's known range across China.

Researchers led by Professor Fu Qiaomei at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing have identified five Denisovan fossils at Bianfu Cave in China's Yunnan province, including the first confirmed Denisovan radius, or forearm bone, ever found. The specimens were pulled from more than 60,000 bone fragments and dated to two layers spanning roughly 190,000 to 70,000 years ago.

Since Denisovans have almost no skeletal record, scientists previously knew the group mainly through DNA extracted from a handful of bone fragments and teeth. Using zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry and proteomic sequencing, the team confirmed the five specimens as Denisovan by identifying 6 to 16 preserved proteins in each, then analyzed the forearm bone's shape to reveal a mix of Neanderthal-like and modern-human-like biomechanical traits.

The find, published September 9 in Nature, fills a major geographic gap by extending the known range of Denisovans deep into southwest China and makes Bianfu Cave the richest Denisovan fossil site outside the original Denisova Cave in Siberia. It brings the global tally of confirmed Denisovan fossils to more than 20. Alongside the bones, researchers recovered bone and stone tools plus fossilized pollen and animal remains, offering new clues about how the group lived.

## Sources

- [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-09-denisovan-forearm-bone-southwest-china.html)
- [sci.news](https://www.sci.news/othersciences/anthropology/bianfu-cave-denisovans-15057.html)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/2355-scientists-identify-first-denisovan-forearm-bone-in-southwest-china-cave
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/2428-vedci-identifikovali-prvni-denisovanskou-kost-predlokti-v-jeskyni-v-jihozapadni