Title
Rare dental trait provides morphological evidence of archaic introgression in Asian fossil record
Files
Download Full Text (597 KB)
Publication Date
July 2019
Abstract
The recently described Denisovan hemimandible from Xiahe, China [F. Chen et al., (2019) Nature 569, 409–412], possesses an unusual dental feature: a 3-rooted lower second molar. A survey of the clinical and bioarchaeological literature demonstrates that the 3-rooted lower molar is rare (less than 3.5% occurrence) in non-Asian Homo sapiens. In contrast, its presence in Asian-derived populations can exceed 40% in China and the New World. It has long been thought that the prevalence of 3-rooted lower molars in Asia is a relatively late acquisition occurring well after the origin and dispersal of H. sapiens. However, the presence of a 3-rooted lower second molar in this 160,000-y-old fossil hominin suggests greater antiquity for the trait. Importantly, it also provides morphological evidence of a strong link between archaic and recent Asian H. sapiens populations. This link provides compelling evidence that modern Asian lineages acquired the 3-rooted lower molar via introgression from Denisovans.
Document Type
Article
Notes
PNAS, Vol. 116, no. 30 (2019-07-08).
Identifier
K26-05134
Recommended Citation
Bailey, Shara E.; Hublin, Jean-Jacques; and Anton, Susan C., "Rare dental trait provides morphological evidence of archaic introgression in Asian fossil record" (2019). KIP Articles. 4960.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/4960
