Denisovans from southwestern China and their subsistence strategies.

Denisovans in southwestern China exhibited a long cultural record from 190,000 to 70,000 years ago, with diverse fossils and adaptive subsistence strategies.

• Why it matters: Understanding Denisovan technological and subsistence behaviors fills a critical gap in human evolutionary history, especially in eastern Asia where their legacy remains poorly documented.
• What they did: Researchers analyzed fossils and archaeological remains from Bianfu Cave, dating to 167–134 thousand years ago, including teeth, cranial fragments, and tools, revealing hunting and technological practices.
• The result: Findings show Denisovans specialized in hunting medium- to large-sized prey using expedient core reduction and unmodified bones, indicating an adaptive system focused on object use over intensive tool-making, influencing later populations in Southeast Asia and Oceania.