ИСТИНА

Long-term archaeological excavations at caves of Altai highland, by expeditions from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology SB RAS (Novosibirsk), have become the focus of worldwide attention, especially after palaeogenetic research led to a major breakthrough in Denisova studies. MtDNA extracted from the distal phalanx of the child from stratum 11 of the cave revealed that the hominid is genetically almost twice further from modern humans than are Neanderthals. After nuclear DNA studies the new sister group of Neanderthals was called Denisovans and seemed to be widely distributed across Asia in the past. But around 50 ka BP the Denisovans were not the only inhabitants of southern Siberia. Neanderthal remains in Altai are identified in locations subdivided by hundreds of kilometers. The purpose of this study is to consider their postcranial morphological patterns. Denisova Cave. A high-quality genome sequence of a woman indicated Neanderthal presence in “home cave” of Denisovans [1]. The proximal pedal phalanx of DNA owner from Denisova Cave is broad relative to its height [2]. This opposes the Denisova individual to most modern members of the genus Homo. The specimen is even broader and more robust than the phalanges of Neanderthals or early modern humans. The extraordinary inner robusticity of that bone was atypical even for many Neanderthals. A distal phalanx of the left (?) hand of Homo, found in level 12 of Denisova Cave in 2011, resembles Neanderthal phalanges in terms of length, width of apical tuft, and relative flattening, differing from them by a somewhat greater transversal hypertrophy of the shaft [3]. Okladnikov Cave. Several specimens found in 1984 shared a combination of archaic and unique characteristics. While the totality of postcranial morphological traits suggests that those humans were Neanderthals, certain more archaic traits are presented [4]. Okladnikov people were least similar to early anatomically modern humans of the Skhul and Qafzeh group and most similar to Near Eastern Neanderthals such as Tabun C1 and partly Shanidar. Recent finds from Chagyrskaya cave were more “Neanderthal-like”. E.g., based on dimensions, proportions, pathological changes, and indicators of habitual activity of ulna its owner was apparently a Neanderthal male [5]. But being compared with Neanderthal finds from Denisova or Okladnikov caves humans from Chagyrskaya have been “lighter-built”, especially concerning inner robusticity of their tubular bones. Altai caves became homeland for Neanderthals who demonstrated high individual variability. Neanderthal inhabitants of three sites seemed to be various from morphological point of view. That means different waves of Neanderthal migration or/and their genetic contacts with another inhabitants of Central Asia, like Denisovans.