A finger bone fragment, discovered in 2010 changed our understanding of human existence, The Secret World of Denisovans (August 2025), by Silvana Condemi and François Savatier, tells the how this tiny fossil revealed an entire branch of our family tree we never knew existed.
These mysterious cousins of humanity were master survivors, thriving everywhere from the frozen wastelands of Siberia to steamy Asian jungles. Think of them as the Swiss Army knife of ancient humans — adaptable enough to live at oxygen-starved Himalayan heights and skilled enough to pass down genes that still help modern Tibetans breathe easily at high altitudes.
While we've only found a handful of their bones, their DNA tells an epic story of romance and survival. These ancient humans weren't just neighbors to our ancestors and Neanderthals — they were also lovers. The proof? A teenage girl nicknamed "Denny" whose DNA showed she had a Denisovan dad and a Neanderthal mom.
Today, some people in Southeast Asia carry up to 5% Denisovan DNA in their genes, a legacy of these long-lost relatives.
The book is by Silvana Condemi, a world-leading paleoanthropologist and research director at France's CNRS research organization, and François Savatier, a science journalist at Pour la Science magazine who specializes in bringing ancient history to life through his engaging writing.
Previously:
• Ancient humans interbred with 'mystery population'
• Neanderthals likely interbred to extinction by modern humans
• New species of giant-headed humans discovered
