Denisova Cave, Pestera cu Oase, and Human Divergence in the Late Pleistocene.

Abstract

Krause et al. (Nature 464: 894–897) have proposed the existence of a novel human lineage at Denisova Cave based on its divergent mtDNA sequence. Assessment of the Oase 2 early modern human maxillary molars, using the same logic as Krause et al., suggests that its lineage was even more divergent. This exercise highlights the inappro-priateness of such an analysis for assessing lineage, or species, distinctiveness based on partial organismal data.