Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Science  

Denisovans are an extinct hominin group defined by ancient genomes of Middle to Late Pleistocene fossils from southern Siberia. Although genomic evidence suggests their widespread distribution throughout eastern Asia and possibly Oceania, so far only a few fossils from the Altai and Tibet are confidently identified molecularly as Denisovan. We identified a hominin mandible (Penghu 1) from Taiwan (10,000 to 70,000 years ago or 130,000 to 190,000 years ago) as belonging to a male Denisovan by applying ancient protein analysis. We retrieved 4241 amino acid residues and identified two Denisovan-specific variants. The increased fossil sample of Denisovans demonstrates their wider distribution, including warm and humid regions, as well as their shared distinct robust dentognathic traits that markedly contrast with their sister group, Neanderthals.

DOI： 10.1126/science.ads3888

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PubMed

Authorship：Last author,　Corresponding author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Communications Biology  

Orangutans have a slow life history with one of the longest interbirth intervals and the lowest reported infant mortality rates among primates or even mammals. Breastfeeding is a key factor in their life history because it possibly promotes offspring health and increases maternal interbirth intervals. However, quantifying milk intake is difficult, and existing estimates for their weaning age are contradictory. Here, we use fecal proteomics to predict the breastfeeding and weaning patterns in wild Bornean orangutans in Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia. Age changes in milk-specific proteins identified from 20 feces of five immature individuals revealed that the orangutans in Danum Valley consistently consumed milk for ≥6.5 years after birth, consistent with the behavioral evidence as having one of the longest breastfeeding periods in mammals. Milk intake was significantly correlated with higher levels of biological defense and probiotic bacterial proteins. Mothers were not pregnant with their next offspring during the breastfeeding period. These results indicate that a continuous and long breastfeeding period is a key component of the slow life history of orangutans and shows that fecal proteomics can be applied to a wide range of wild animal populations, with the potentials to uncover novel aspects of behavior and physiology.

DOI： 10.1038/s42003-026-09968-2

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Journal of Archaeological Science  

Most ancient human bones degrade and eventually disappear over time, especially in regions with acidic soils, making it challenging to obtain genetic information from past populations. As a consequence, there is currently an overrepresentation of ancient human data for certain regions of the world in contrast to others. To explore alternative sources, we analyzed ancient DNA from sediment samples collected from a burial site and a settlement site in Japan, both dating to around 1000 years ago. We found that ancient human mitochondrial DNA can be obtained from sediments surrounding bones, particularly close to rib bones, while human DNA was rarely detected in the settlement site sediments. Furthermore, the mitochondrial haplogroups identified in the sediments were identical to those from human bones, confirming the reliability of this approach. Our findings suggest that genetic information about past human populations can be directly obtained from archaeological sediments in open-air sites. This method also provides a non-destructive alternative to bones and teeth, expanding possibilities for ancient DNA research in regions where skeletal remains are poorly preserved.

DOI： 10.1016/j.jas.2026.106537

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Authorship：Last author,　Corresponding author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：The Anthropological Society of Nippon  

<p>Food systems is an analytical framework developed in agricultural economics that encompasses the entire process from food production, processing, distribution, preparation, to consumption. In archaeology, the distinction between food supply, which indicates the presence of food resources within a region, and accessibility, which reflects the extent to which individuals could actually obtain these resources, potentially enables a more nuanced reconstruction of past human diets. In this study, we utilized this food system framework to investigate the accessibility of food items for commoners in premodern Osaka, a logistical hub with a diverse food supply. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of bone collagen and palaeoproteomic analysis of dental calculus were performed for eight skeletal individuals from the Ofuka-cho site. The stable isotope ratios were within the previously reported ranges for premodern commoners in Japan. A total of 38 dietary proteins across 17 taxa were identified in the calculus. The identified food items included <i>Pagrus major</i>, which was an economically high-grade fish, Salmonidae, which was traded over long distances, the meat of terrestrial mammals, which were publicly avoided during this period, and cottonseed, which was possibly used as an edible oil. These findings reflect high accessibility to diverse food items even among commoners, which was maintained by the well-developed transport network of premodern Osaka. These results emphasize the pivotal role of commoners in the development of Japan’s culinary culture.</p>

DOI： 10.1537/ase.260519

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