A Middle Pleistocene Denisovan molar from the Annamite Chain of northern Laos
- Demeter, F.
- Zanolli, C.
- Westaway, K.
- Joannes-Boyau, R.
- Duringer, P.
- Morley, M.
- Welker, F.
- Rüther, P.
- Skinner, M.
- McColl, H.
- Gaunitz, C.
- Vinner, L.
- Dunn, T.
- Olsen, J.
- Sikora, M.
- Ponche, J.
- Suzzoni, E.
- Frangeul, S.
- Boesch, Q.
- Antoine, P.
- Pan, L.
- Xing, S.
- Zhao, J.
- Bailey, R.
- Boualaphane, S.
- Sichanthongtip, P.
- Sihanam, D.
- Patole-Edoumba, E.
- Aubaile, F.
- Crozier, F.
- Bourgon, N.
- Zachwieja, A.
- Luangkhoth, T.
- Souksavatdy, V.
- Sayavongkhamdy, T.
- Cappellini, E.
- Bacon, A.
- Hublin, J.
- Willerslev, E.
- Shackelford, L.
DOIAbstract
The Pleistocene presence of the genus Homo in continental Southeast Asia is primarily evidenced by a sparse stone tool record and rare human remains. Here we report a Middle Pleistocene hominin specimen from Laos, with the discovery of a molar from the Tam Ngu Hao 2 (Cobra Cave) limestone cave in the Annamite Mountains. The age of the fossil-bearing breccia ranges between 164–131 kyr, based on the Bayesian modelling of luminescence dating of the sedimentary matrix from which it was recovered, U-series dating of an overlying flowstone, and U-series–ESR dating of associated faunal teeth. Analyses of the internal structure of the molar in tandem with palaeoproteomic analyses of the enamel indicate that the tooth derives from a young, likely fe...
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