Taiwan museum exhibits fossil of archaic human species

Taichung, May 23 (CNA) The fossilized lower jawbone of a Denisovan, an ancient human species, is the centerpiece of a new exhibit at the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung.

Current research shows the jawbone, which was found off Taiwan's Penghu Island, belonged to a young male Denisovan who once lived in ancient Taiwan, curator Chang Chun-hsiang (張鈞翔) said at the opening of the "Denisovans Arrived in Taiwan!" exhibition on Thursday.

Research also showed the jawbone was broad and strong, with large molars, a sturdy mouth structure and well-developed muscles, said Chang, a researcher at the museum's Paleontology Division.

Also known as the "Penghu Man," the jaw's owner was confirmed as a Denisovan male after more than a decade of joint research by scientists from Taiwan and abroad, Chang said.

A Denisovan is an ancient human species that lived in Asia and is known from a few fossils and genetic studies.

The name comes from the fossil's discovery by fishermen in the Penghu Channel. It is also the oldest human fossil found in Taiwan, according to the museum's website introducing the exhibition.

Part of the exhibition includes a model of the man, created by museum technician Yu Shu-huan (游書桓), using scientific research and artistic sculpting, Chang said.

The exhibition also showcases other fossils found in the area, retraces how the fossil was discovered and explains protein analysis, the method used to identify the "Penghu Man" as a Denisovan.

The results of the decade-long research were published in the international journal Science in April 2025, said Huang Wen-san (黃文山), director of the museum

According to the article's abstract, the discovery highlights the Denisovans' presence in warm, humid regions and reveals their distinctively robust jaw and dental features that set them apart from Neanderthals, another archaic human species.

The exhibition runs through July 20 at the National Museum of Natural Science's Miniature Exhibition Gallery on the first floor.