Denny’s father carried deep ancestry from both Neanderthals and Denisovans, indicating long-standing genetic mixing between the two extinct groups that extended beyond this individual.

Genomic sequencing shows roughly half of Denny’s genetic variants match Neanderthals and half match Denisovans, revealing direct parentage from each extinct lineage.

A two-centimetre bone fragment from Denisova Cave, labeled Denisova 11 (Denny), has been identified as a human baby who died at about 13 years old based on collagen peptide mass fingerprinting and DNA analysis.

The Denisovans were first identified from a finger bone in 2010, and later evidence like the Harbin skull confirmed Denisovan ancestry in East Asia, indicating broader geographic distribution and interaction with Neanderthals and modern humans.

Denny’s age is estimated to be between 80,000 and 140,000 years, with a commonly cited approximate age around 90,000 years, based on Bayesian modeling and cave stratigraphy.

Overall significance: This discovery provides direct genetic evidence of interbreeding between Neanderthals and Denisovans, showing two extinct human species produced offspring and expanding our understanding of ancient hominin interactions.

Mitochondrial DNA indicates a Neanderthal mother, while the paternal Denisovan identity is inferred from the mixed nuclear genome, marking the first direct evidence of a child born to a Neanderthal and a Denisovan.