
The Secret World of Denisovans
The Epic Story of the Ancient Cousins to Sapiens and Neanderthals
The Experiment LLC (Publisher)
Published on 19. August 2025
Book
Hardback
272 pages
979-8-89303-070-9 (ISBN)
Shipment within 10-20 days
Description
In December 2010, scientists discovered a fragment of a finger bone in the remote, isolated Denisova Cave in Siberia. To their surprise, the bone contained neither Homo sapiens nor Neanderthal DNA. Rather, the fast-advancing science of paleogenetics revealed that the DNA came from a previously unknown species of hominids-the Denisovans (as they almost immediately came to be called)- who shared a common ancestor with both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.
This first and subsequent Denisovan fossil discoveries required paleoanthropologists, including world-leading researcher and author Silvana Condemi, to reconsider their understanding of our ancestors and their successive prehistoric migrations out of Africa and into and throughout Eurasia tens of thousands of years ago.
Leading us through the excavation of Denisova Cave, the sequencing of the Denisovan genome, and recent fossil research, Condemi and her coauthor, science journalist Francois Savatier, explore how the Denisovans migrated throughout Asia and with whom they interacted along the way, as well as the comparisons and divergences between the evolutionary processes of Denisovans and our other ancestor cousins, Neanderthals. They help us to understand and appreciate how today's inhabitants of East Asia-from Siberia to the Philippines- carry up to 5 percent of Denisovan DNA, and they revise the epic story of our ancient human ancestors' immense journeys as they peopled our planet.
This first and subsequent Denisovan fossil discoveries required paleoanthropologists, including world-leading researcher and author Silvana Condemi, to reconsider their understanding of our ancestors and their successive prehistoric migrations out of Africa and into and throughout Eurasia tens of thousands of years ago.
Leading us through the excavation of Denisova Cave, the sequencing of the Denisovan genome, and recent fossil research, Condemi and her coauthor, science journalist Francois Savatier, explore how the Denisovans migrated throughout Asia and with whom they interacted along the way, as well as the comparisons and divergences between the evolutionary processes of Denisovans and our other ancestor cousins, Neanderthals. They help us to understand and appreciate how today's inhabitants of East Asia-from Siberia to the Philippines- carry up to 5 percent of Denisovan DNA, and they revise the epic story of our ancient human ancestors' immense journeys as they peopled our planet.
Reviews / Votes
"Defined by their DNA rather than by their physical appearance, the Denisovans present us with the ultimate mystery of human evolution. In their entertaining new book Silvana Condemi and Francois Savatier painstakingly assemble everything we currently know about these shadowy extinct relatives and boldly paint a picture of them as they may have been in life." -- Ian Tattersall, author of Understanding Human Evolution "A clear overview of Denisova and its immediate antecedents." -- Science "Condemi and Savatier bring together everything we know about this enigmatic human, allowing readers to get to know our ancient cousin species. The result is part primer, part detective story. But more than that, it's a reminder that even our oldest assumptions about human history can be overturned and rewritten." -- Big Think "Presents a compelling investigation into details of the Denisovans' emergence and their contributions to the scientific understanding of human history. . . . Beyond the scientific revelations and debates, The Secret World of the Denisovans conveys the sense of excitement and intellectual detective work that underpins paleoanthropology. It's an excellent read for anyone with an interest in human evolution, genetics, or simply a good scientific mystery." -- Shelf Awareness "The Denisovans are among the most enigmatic early human fossils ever discovered. The Secret World of Denisovans is beautifully written and captures the complexities of scientific exploration, debate, and progress in an engaging and accessible way, without compromising scientific rigor and accuracy. The book gradually unveils the morphology and behavior of this population in a suspenseful, detective-like format. It is an entertaining read for professionals and the public alike." -- Miriam Belmaker, Paleoanthropologist, The University of TulsaMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
B&W illustrations and photos throughout | 8-page color insert
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
486 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-89303-070-9 (9798893030709)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions

Silvana Condemi | Francois Savatier
The Secret World of Denisovans
The Epic Story of the Ancient Cousins to Sapiens and Neanderthals
Book
approx. 06/2026
The Experiment LLC
€18.50
Not yet published
Additional editions

Silvana Condemi | François Savatier
The Secret World of Denisovans
The Epic Story of the Ancient Cousins to Sapiens and Neanderthals
E-Book
08/2025
The Experiment
€21.49
Available for download
Persons
Silvana Condemi, a world-leading paleoanthropologist, is the research director of CNRS, the largest French public scientific research organization, at Aix-Marseille University. She is the co-author of A Pocket History of Human Evolution and The Secret World of Denisovans. Francois Savatier is a journalist for the magazine Pour la Science (the French edition of Scientific American), where he focuses on the science of the past. He is the co-author of A Pocket History of Human Evolution and The Secret World of Denisovans.
Content
Prologue
Part 1: The Third Men
The Enigma
In the Denisova Cave
Denisova, a Human Species?
Denisova Through Its Genes
An Immense Empire in the East
Part 2: Origins
Before Denisova: The Strange Homo erectus
The Earth System, Home to Denisova?
Denisova, Sons of Crossbreeding
The Ancestor of Denisova and Neanderthal
Heading East
The Bamboo Empire
Part 3: In the Denisova Skin
Portrait of Denisova
In Search of Lost Denisovan Fossils
Denisova's Body and Face Are Back!
Living Denisova
Bibliography
Credits
List of Infographics
Acknowledgments
Part 1: The Third Men
The Enigma
In the Denisova Cave
Denisova, a Human Species?
Denisova Through Its Genes
An Immense Empire in the East
Part 2: Origins
Before Denisova: The Strange Homo erectus
The Earth System, Home to Denisova?
Denisova, Sons of Crossbreeding
The Ancestor of Denisova and Neanderthal
Heading East
The Bamboo Empire
Part 3: In the Denisova Skin
Portrait of Denisova
In Search of Lost Denisovan Fossils
Denisova's Body and Face Are Back!
Living Denisova
Bibliography
Credits
List of Infographics
Acknowledgments