Fossil Club Jan: Unmasking Denisovans

Around 300,000 years ago, modern humans developed in a world already occupied by at least 7 other human species. Who were these people? How are we related to them? Why aren’t they here anymore? Over the last decade, our understanding of a time once dubbed “the muddle in the middle” has been revolutionized by new fossil finds and advances in geochronology, genetics, proteomics, and other sciences. One group of humans in particular, the Denisovans, first identified by ancient DNA, has become one of the most tantalizing paleoanthropological stories of our time. Let’s explore the story of our closest cousins, and in some cases, our ancestors, in order to learn more about ourselves and our origins.

Mason Hintermeister is a PhD student at the Center for Functional Anatomy & Evolution at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a longtime NHSM Fossil & Archaeology Club member. He has a degree in human evolutionary biology and anthropology from Stony Brook University, with a specialization in anthropological field methods. His research focuses on understanding evolutionary processes and how they interact with form-function relationships, often using primate dental evolution as a case study.

NHSM’s Fossil Club is a group of novice and more experienced collectors who meet to share knowledge and discuss fossil identification, fossil locations, and other fossil-related topics. Monthly meetings feature guest speakers both from within the club and from outside organizations. We also strive to schedule frequent collection trips to various locations. 

Although you don’t need to be a member to attend a meeting, membership gives you access to additional experiences. An annual NHSM membership is $35 for individuals, $50 for families; Fossil Club membership is an additional $5 for individuals and $10 for families. 

If you are not yet a member of NHSM, click here to join. When you join as a new member, you can add the club membership(s) of your choice to your registration. Current NHSM members who wish to join any clubs should email the Community Coordinator at rbaldwin@marylandnature.org.