X Woman

Not any fictional character but the quite unoriginal name given to the former bearer of a finger found in Denisova Cave (Altai, Russia) whose mtDNA has been analyzed now by Krause et al. (Paabo's team).

The result known so far (via Mundo Neandertal and El Neandertal Tonto, Qué Timo!) is that she is almost twice more distant from us than H. neanderthalensis. The most logical conclusion is that, in spite of using Mousterian industry and being neighbor of both Neanderthals and H. sapiens, she belonged probably to a deeper branch of H. erectus.

However everybody seems to be asking for caution... and yet comparing with H. floresiensis.

J. Krause et al., The complete mitochondrial DNA genome of an unknown hominin from southern Siberia. Nature, 2010. Pay per view.

For the archaeological context, it's interesting to read: A.P. Derevianko and S.V. Markin, The Middle and Upper Paleolithic of the Altai. 1997 (PDF).

Other news articles and blog reviews:
- Science News
- BBC
- Anthropology.net
- Dienekes'