Fossilized leg bones of an extinct human group, identified as Denisovans, discovered on the seafloor near Taiwan have prompted renewed speculation about biblical giants. Researchers identified the fossils, including parts of a thigh bone and a shin bone recovered from the Penghu Channel, as belonging to Denisovans, an ancient human group that diverged from the Neanderthal lineage approximately 550,000 years ago.
Analysis of proteins preserved within the bones linked them to the Denisovan lineage, which once inhabited extensive regions of East Asia. Scientists estimated the individual represented by the thigh bone stood around five feet 11 inches tall and weighed 183 pounds. The individual from the shin bone may have reached approximately six feet three inches and weighed 201 pounds, dimensions significantly taller than the average modern man.
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These considerable dimensions have led some to suggest that Denisovans may have inspired stories of the Nephilim, mysterious beings described in the Bible as giants. The fact that the fossils were found on the seabed has also fueled speculation connecting them to the biblical account of the Great Flood. However, the study itself presents no evidence linking Denisovans to the Nephilim or a global flood, and its findings have not yet undergone peer review.
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The Nephilim are mentioned in the Old Testament, first in Genesis 6:4 and again in Numbers 13:33, and are described in more detail in the ancient text 1 Enoch as offspring of fallen angels and human women. The text states these giants brought chaos to Earth before God sent a flood to cleanse the world.
While some have connected this discovery to ancient religious narratives, the researchers, led by the University of Tokyo, focused on what the large bones reveal about Denisovan anatomy. Their study suggests that the Denisovan population in this region had a larger body size than earlier Homo erectus and Late Pleistocene Homo sapiens in East Asia. This finding challenges the expectation that body size generally decreases with proximity to the equator, known as Bergmann's rule.
The researchers noted that while the sex of the individuals could not be determined, their size strongly suggests they were males. The reconstructed sizes for the leg bones, Penghu 2 (thigh bone) and Penghu 3 (shin bone), place them among the largest known ancient humans from the Ice Age. The shin bone also showed evidence of a healed injury.
Compared to Homo erectus individuals in northern China around 750,000 years ago, these Denisovans were estimated to be eight to 12 inches taller and 44 to 66 pounds heavier. Previous Denisovan fossil discoveries had indicated large brains, powerful jaws, and large teeth, but the scarcity of post-cranial remains had limited understanding of their overall build. The Penghu fossils now contribute significantly to this picture, depicting them with large, robust bodies.
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The size of these Denisovans also challenges Bergmann's rule, suggesting that factors beyond climate influenced their proportions. Chemical evidence from the shin bone indicates a meat-heavy diet, and other findings suggest Denisovans hunted a range of animals. The researchers proposed that large bodies might have aided them in pursuing prey with less sophisticated tools than early modern humans.
Additionally, a feature on the thigh bone resembles a ridge found in modern humans, potentially indicating extensive land travel or interbreeding with Homo sapiens, as genetic evidence shows these groups exchanged DNA. The researchers emphasized that further fossil and genetic evidence is needed to fully understand these unusual traits and their prevalence within the Denisovan population.