Skip to content
Beta
EN
Log inGet started

Ancient Proteins Show What Denisovans Looked Like

Scientists in China used protein analysis on ancient bones to identify Denisovan fossils, revealing new details about their appearance and spread.

B2Published Updated
Read it step by step

One paragraph at a time: new words, grammar and a short check.

Scientists in China say they now have a clearer picture of the Denisovans, a group of ancient humans. The team, led by the geneticist Qiaomei Fu, studied about 20 fossils from a site called Xujiayao in the north of the country. The bones were found in the 1970s and are more than 130,000 years old. For many years, researchers were not sure which type of human they belonged to, and some called them a separate species named Homo juluensis.

Quick question Fill the blank · paragraph 1
1/1

Type the answer

The were found in the 1970s and are more than 130,000 years old.

1–4 pick a word Enter check / continue Esc skip

To solve the puzzle, the team tested tiny pieces of protein from two of the bones. Proteins last longer than DNA, so they can still be read in very old fossils. The scientists found one small change in the protein collagen that appears in Denisovans but not in modern humans or Neanderthals. This marked the Xujiayao people as Denisovans. Together with a skull from the city of Harbin, identified last year, the fossils show a heavy face with a low, sloping forehead, thick brow ridges and flat cheeks. The skull cap is wide and thick, while the sides of the skull are tall, like ours.

Quick question Fill the blank · paragraph 2
1/1

Type the answer

The found one small change in the protein collagen that appears in Denisovans but not in modern humans or Neanderthals.

1–4 pick a word Enter check / continue Esc skip

Other experts call the study a big step, and they say it suggests that Denisovans lived across a wide area and may have been quite varied. Still, many questions remain. Only two of the twenty fossils were tested, and no DNA was found, so the link between all the bones is not certain. Some scientists also argue that proteins alone are not enough to prove who a fossil belongs to. New finds and better lab methods may change the picture again.

Quick question Find the error · paragraph 3
1/1

Type the answer

One word is in the wrong form: “live”. Type the correct form of that word.

Other experts call the study a big step, and they say it suggests that Denisovans live across a wide area and may have been quite varied.

Enter check / continue Esc skip

Topics Science

Keep what you learned

Add the new items from this text to your deck so they come back for review.

Final check · about 2 min

Questions from the whole text. Your answers move your words, phrases and grammar.

Speaking

Talk about this text out loud

Two minutes, free. Open an assistant with the prompt ready, turn on its voice and answer a few questions about the text. Nothing is recorded here.

Your level
  1. Step 1Choose your app: ChatGPT or Claude.
  2. Step 2Press its voice button.
  3. Step 3Answer 4–5 questions out loud.
Open in ChatGPT

Questions, sentence starters and words

Questions

  1. OpinionWhy do you think people are so interested in early humans and their relatives?
  2. OpinionIs it a good idea to spend money on studying very old bones? Why or why not?
  3. ExperienceHave you ever visited a museum or a historical site that made you think about the past? What was it like?
  4. ExperienceTell me about a time when you learned something that changed what you believed before.
  5. What ifWhat if scientists could bring back one extinct human group? Would it be a good idea?
  6. What ifIf you could travel back 130,000 years for one day, what would you take with you?

Nothing to say? Start like this

  • I think that...
  • In my opinion, scientists should...
  • One thing that surprises me is...
  • If I had the chance, I would...

Words from the text

  • fossil B2
  • ancient B1
  • protein B2
  • forehead B1
  • cheek B1
  • species B2
  • researcher B1
  • evidence B2
Show the prompt
# Speaking practice: Ancient humans and how we learn about them

You are my friendly English conversation partner. We talk by voice, so keep every reply short: one to three sentences. Speak English only.

First ask me, in one short question, what my English level is, then use words and sentences at that level.

Topic: Ancient humans and how we learn about them. It comes from a short text called “Ancient Proteins Show What Denisovans Looked Like”.

Ask these questions one at a time. Wait for my answer, react to it in a few words, then ask the next one.

1. Why do you think people are so interested in early humans and their relatives?
2. Is it a good idea to spend money on studying very old bones? Why or why not?
3. Have you ever visited a museum or a historical site that made you think about the past? What was it like?
4. Tell me about a time when you learned something that changed what you believed before.
5. What if scientists could bring back one extinct human group? Would it be a good idea?
6. If you could travel back 130,000 years for one day, what would you take with you?

If I get stuck, give me one of these sentence starters or make the question easier:

- I think that...
- In my opinion, scientists should...
- One thing that surprises me is...
- If I had the chance, I would...

Encourage me to use these words from the text:

- fossil (B2)
- ancient (B1)
- protein (B2)
- forehead (B1)
- cheek (B1)
- species (B2)
- researcher (B1)
- evidence (B2)

Rules:

- Do not correct me while I speak. Let me finish my thought.
- Quietly keep a list of my mistakes and of the new words I used or needed.
- When I say we are done, or after the last question, give me a summary: my mistakes with the corrected sentences, the new words with a short meaning each, and one thing to practise next.

Start now with the first question.

Keyboard shortcuts