Denisova Cave
Encyclopedia
Denisova Cave is a cave
in the Bashelaksky Range of the Altai mountains, Siberia
, Russia. The cave is of paleoarchaeological
and paleontological
interest. Bone fragments of the Denisova hominin
, sometime called the "X-woman" (referring to the maternal descent of mitochondrial DNA) originate from the cave, including artifacts dated to ~40,000 Before Present
(BP). The cave is located in a region thought to be inhabited concurrently in the past by Neanderthal
s and modern humans.
, at the border of the Altai Republic
, the cave is near the village of Chorny Anui , and some 150 km south of Barnaul
, the next major city. The cave, which is approximately 28 m above the right bank of the Anuy River
(a left tributary of the Ob
), has formed in upper Silurian
limestone and contains a floor area of about 270 sq m. It contains a central chamber with a floor of 9 x 11 m (99 sq m) with side galleries. It has been described as both as a karst cave and as a sandstone cave.
Cave sediments are rich with remnants of animals including extinct ones. Remains of 27 species of large and medium sized mammals have been found, (such as Cave Hyena
, Cave Lion
etc.) and 39 species of small mammals, as well as remnants of reptiles, 50 bird species and other vertebrates. Pollen in the sediments of cave is used for palaeoclimatological research.
), and was named after him, while the indigenous Altay people
call it Ayu-Tash (Bear Rock). In the 1970s Soviet scientists discovered paleo-archeological remains in the cave which led to further explorations. So far there have been identified twenty-two strata
with archeological artifacts that cover the time from Dionisij back to about 125,000 - 180,000 years ago. The timing of the strata was accomplished by the use of thermoluminescence dating
of sediment
s, or, in some cases, radiocarbon dating
on charcoal
.
Among the archeological artifacts are Mousterian
and Levallois
style tools attributed to Neanderthal
s. Beside tools researchers found decorative objects of bone, mammoth tusk, animal teeth, ostrich egg shell, fragments of a stone bracelet made of drilled, worked and polished dark green chloritolite, and pendants.
have investigated the cave. Among the artifacts which had been left about 30,000 to 48,000 years ago (strata 9 -11), bones were identified. One such bone was a piece of phalanx
of a child that was analyzed by Svante Pääbo
and coworkers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
in Leipzig
; its mitochondrial DNA
revealed a structure that differs from known human patterns and has been ascribed to Denisova hominin, apparently an extinct hominin species. Further analysis revealed that the Denisovans were related to the Neanderthals and interbred with the ancestors of modern Melanesia
ns.
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
in the Bashelaksky Range of the Altai mountains, Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, Russia. The cave is of paleoarchaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and paleontological
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
interest. Bone fragments of the Denisova hominin
Denisova hominin
Denisova hominins , or Denisovans, are Paleolithic-Era members of the genus Homo that may belong to a previously unknown species. In , scientists announced the discovery of a finger bone fragment of a juvenile female that lived about 41,000 years ago, found in Denisova Cave in Altai Krai, Russia, a...
, sometime called the "X-woman" (referring to the maternal descent of mitochondrial DNA) originate from the cave, including artifacts dated to ~40,000 Before Present
Before Present
Before Present years is a time scale used in archaeology, geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events in the past occurred. Because the "present" time changes, standard practice is to use AD 1950 as the origin of the age scale, reflecting the fact that radiocarbon...
(BP). The cave is located in a region thought to be inhabited concurrently in the past by Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
s and modern humans.
Description
Located in Altai KraiAltai Krai
Altai Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It borders with, clockwise from the south, Kazakhstan, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo Oblasts, and the Altai Republic. The krai's administrative center is the city of Barnaul...
, at the border of the Altai Republic
Altai Republic
Altai Republic is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the town of Gorno-Altaysk. The area of the republic is . Population: -Geography:...
, the cave is near the village of Chorny Anui , and some 150 km south of Barnaul
Barnaul
-Russian Empire:Barnaul was one of the earlier cities established in Siberia. Originally chosen for its proximity to the mineral-rich Altai Mountains and its location on a major river, the site was founded by the wealthy Demidov family in the 1730s. In addition to the copper which had originally...
, the next major city. The cave, which is approximately 28 m above the right bank of the Anuy River
Anuy River
The Anuy River is a 327 km long left tributary of the Ob River originating in the Altai mountains of Siberia, Russia.The Chyorny Anuy and the smaller Bely Anuy join to form the Anuy river. The Chyorny Anuy starts at an altitude of 1,220 m at the southeastern end of the Anuy mountain range in the...
(a left tributary of the Ob
Ob River
The Ob River , also Obi, is a major river in western Siberia, Russia and is the world's seventh longest river. It is the westernmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean .The Gulf of Ob is the world's longest estuary.-Names:The Ob is known to the Khanty people as the...
), has formed in upper Silurian
Silurian
The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician Period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Devonian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya . As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the...
limestone and contains a floor area of about 270 sq m. It contains a central chamber with a floor of 9 x 11 m (99 sq m) with side galleries. It has been described as both as a karst cave and as a sandstone cave.
Cave sediments are rich with remnants of animals including extinct ones. Remains of 27 species of large and medium sized mammals have been found, (such as Cave Hyena
Cave Hyena
The Cave Hyena is an extinct subspecies of spotted hyena native to Eurasia, ranging from Northern China to Spain and into the British Isles...
, Cave Lion
Cave lion
Panthera leo spelaea also known as the European or Eurasian cave lion, is an extinct subspecies of lion known from fossils and many examples of prehistoric art.-Physical characteristics:This subspecies was one of the largest lions...
etc.) and 39 species of small mammals, as well as remnants of reptiles, 50 bird species and other vertebrates. Pollen in the sediments of cave is used for palaeoclimatological research.
History
In the 18th century, the cave was inhabited by a hermit, Dionisij (DenisDenis
Saint Denis is a Christian martyr and saint. In the third century, he was Bishop of Paris. He was martyred in connection with the Decian persecution of Christians, shortly after A.D. 250...
), and was named after him, while the indigenous Altay people
Altay people
The Altay or Altai are an ethnic group of Turkic people living in the Siberian Altai Republic and Altai Krai and surrounding areas of Tuva and Mongolia. For alternative ethnonyms see also Teleut, Tele, Telengit, Mountain Kalmuck, White Kalmuck, Black Tatar, Oirat/Oirot.The Uriankhai people were...
call it Ayu-Tash (Bear Rock). In the 1970s Soviet scientists discovered paleo-archeological remains in the cave which led to further explorations. So far there have been identified twenty-two strata
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
with archeological artifacts that cover the time from Dionisij back to about 125,000 - 180,000 years ago. The timing of the strata was accomplished by the use of thermoluminescence dating
Thermoluminescence dating
Thermoluminescence dating is the determination, by means of measuring the accumulated radiation dose, of the time elapsed since material containing crystalline minerals was either heated or exposed to sunlight...
of sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
s, or, in some cases, radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
on charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
.
Among the archeological artifacts are Mousterian
Mousterian
Mousterian is a name given by archaeologists to a style of predominantly flint tools associated primarily with Homo neanderthalensis and dating to the Middle Paleolithic, the middle part of the Old Stone Age.-Naming:...
and Levallois
Levallois
Levallois may refer to:*Levallois-Perret, a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France.*Levallois technique *Nicolas-Eugène Levallois*Levallois SC, a current French football club...
style tools attributed to Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
s. Beside tools researchers found decorative objects of bone, mammoth tusk, animal teeth, ostrich egg shell, fragments of a stone bracelet made of drilled, worked and polished dark green chloritolite, and pendants.
Denisova hominin
Scientists from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of NovosibirskNovosibirsk
Novosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District...
have investigated the cave. Among the artifacts which had been left about 30,000 to 48,000 years ago (strata 9 -11), bones were identified. One such bone was a piece of phalanx
Phalanx bones
In anatomy, phalanx bones are those that form the fingers and toes. In primates such as humans and monkeys, the thumb and big toe have two phalanges, while the other fingers and toes consist of three. Phalanges are classified as long bones.The phalanges do not have individual names...
of a child that was analyzed by Svante Pääbo
Svante Pääbo
Svante Pääbo is a Swedish biologist specializing in evolutionary genetics. He was born in 1955 in Stockholm to Sune Bergström, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Bengt I. Samuelsson and John R. Vane in 1982, and his mother, Estonian Karin Pääbo.He earned his PhD from Uppsala...
and coworkers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology is a research institute based in Leipzig, Germany, founded in 1997. It is part of the Max Planck Society network....
in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
; its mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within eukaryotic cells that convert the chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate...
revealed a structure that differs from known human patterns and has been ascribed to Denisova hominin, apparently an extinct hominin species. Further analysis revealed that the Denisovans were related to the Neanderthals and interbred with the ancestors of modern Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
ns.