The Morphology of Permanent Molars from the Paleolithic Layers of Denisova Cave

The Morphology of Permanent Molars from the Paleolithic Layers
of Denisova Cave

DOI: 10.17746/1563-0110.2017.45.1.121-134

A.V. Zubova, T.A. Chikisheva, and M.V. Shunkov
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

The article describes the morphology of two permanent molars from the Pleistocene layers of Denisova Cave, the Altai Mountains. Denisova 4 is an upper left third or second molar, and Denisova 8 is an upper left third molar. Both specimens were examined using the extended trait battery. The results indicate a high informative potential for dental traits in the analysis of group variation within the genus Homo. They support the view that Denisovans, or H. altaiensis, were a distinct group of hominins, differing from both H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis not only genetically but morphologically as well. The distinctive dental features of the Denisovans include extremely large dimensions, and affinities with Homo erectus of Sangiran and the Middle Pleistocene hominins of China, such as Xujiayao. On the basis of the morphological analysis of Denisovan upper molars, it is proposed that the unidentified part of the Denisovan genome may stem from Homo erectus. Dentally, Homo altaiensis is a very conservative taxon.

Keywords: Denisovans, Homo altaiensis, Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, Middle Paleolithic, Upper Paleolithic, dental anthropology.