The Secret World of Denisovans: The Epic Story of the Ancient Cousins to Sapiens and Neanderthals

by Silvana Condemi, François Savatier

For everyone interested in prehistory—an unprecedented, meticulously reported account of our prehistoric ancestors, the recently discovered “Third Man” cousins to Sapiens and Neanderthals

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 François 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.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History, Anthropology, Audiobook, France

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2024

Reviews

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not currently an anthropologist, however I studied anthropology in college so books like this always fascinate me. It is amazing how many new discoveries have been made in recent years. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. I found this book to summarize previous knowledge with new knowledge in an easy to read format. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic.

[CatReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silvana Condemi is a French anthropologist and François Savatier is a French journalist; the two have previously cowritten several books together. Their 2025 effort The Secret World of Denisovans chronicles a now-extinct Homo species, Homo longi (aka Denisovans) that populated parts of modern-day Asia from the Middle to the Late Pleistocene era, alongside but distinct from Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) and what we'd consider modern day human beings (Homo sapiens). While it's true that Homo longi no longer roam the earth, their DNA lives on in trace amounts in certain humans, particularly Pacific islanders, similar to how most Europeans have trace Neanderthal ancestry -- signs that interbreeding did occur.

This book will be of interest to anthropology fans; I found it informative yet dry, like a textbook, and often quite repetitive. Perhaps this is because I listened the audiobook and was repeatedly prompted to look at figures; I did glance through the enhancement PDF after reading but found it textbook-like with photos of Charles Darwin, Rosalind Franklin, etc., confirming my impressions.

My statistics:
Book 363 for 2025
Book 2289 cumulatively

[Sam Talkington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn’t know a thing about Denisovans. I’ve heard the term.

Neanderthal “sister” so to speak. Fascinating and very science-e.

Enjoyed and learned a lot!

[Murphy C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to a digital advance reader copy of this delightful, informative, light-hearted deep-dive into what we currently know of the world of the mysterious, lost Denisovans. Highly recommend!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3,5 stars*

Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love learning more about cavemen, especially the Denisovans have been a blind spot since the discovery of their existence is pretty recent.

What I missed in this book was a clear introduction to the two authors and a more clear storyline. Sometimes the book would get so sidelined that mid-chapter I had to keep thinking ‘And why are we looking at the types of elephants over Africa and India?' I know rationally where they’re going with this in terms of migration. But I sometimes felt like we totally got sidetracked with all previous homo erectus, habilis, heidelbergensis,… without a clear connection to the Devisovans. I didn’t mind really because everything about prehistoric humans interests me.

I did have the feeling that the authors were trying to stretch the book with the little information we still have about Denisovans. It’s wouldn’t have minded all the sidesteps, if they could’ve wrapped it up nicer or made more clear connections. Like 'oh we are talking about the erectus species right now because of this and this.' Just a little introduction per chapter as to why it’s all connected to the Denisovans.

I also noticed how many French authors were mentioned in the book, which makes sense, since the book was originally published in French. But I do wonder if there is more information that they missed, because of their Eurocentric view.

The only thing that irked me about the ARC is that the photo's and graphs were at the back of the book, without really being able to gather where they're supposed to go. The graphs and illustrations with text were also not finished, so it was sometimes a bit of a guess where each word belonged. It did make the book a bit harder to read, as I assume the migration routes were a lot easier to understand with visuals.

Overall I do think I learned some fun facts about the Denisovans! I feel like it could've been explained more clearly, but in general I feel like it did its job.

[Logan Kedzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Built around the story of the discovery and re-discovery of the Denisovans, a further subgroup of humans during their evolution, this is a short review of paleoanthropology in general, with a particular focus on the most recent understanding of the history of humans.

It is a quick read, and I liked it for providing an update on the science here in general. The degree to which the successive waves of humans moving around matter for the picture is memorable to note.

The book ends somewhat abruptly, and can lean towards the overly cheesy in the sub-headings. It leans too hard towards the big reveal as a concept that is underwhelming, and I occasionally wondered if some of the conclusions were overstated. But I particularly like this book as a sort of refresher course in hominin evolution.

My thanks to the authors, Silvana Condemi & François Savatier, for writing the book, and to the publisher, The Experiment, for making the ARC available to me.

[Tamil · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a normal guy interested in reading about anthropology, this book is filled with a lot of details to learn about the Denisovans and the generalist waves of hominins out of Africa.

The authors tried and succeeded in giving us a portrait of the Denisovans from all the available data from various fields like paleontology, archaeology, paleoanthropology, genetics, genome sequencing, radiometric dating, etc. They've managed to collate a massive amount of complex data into a compelling, accessible, and rigorous narrative which is exactly what you need for a good anthropology book (even for a general audience like me).

To crudely summarise in a line, Denisovans are the sister group of Neanderthals who also descended from Homo heidelbergensis. Denisovans are to Eastern Eurasia what Neanderthals are to Western Eurasia.

I hope Denisovans will get their recognition similar to Neanderthals in future findings."

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to The Experiment and Net Galley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

This engaging examination of the state of knowledge of Denisovans is a great example of effective popular science communication. It's beautifully written thanks to the teamwork of Condemi, a paleoanthropologist, and Savatier, a journalist (props to the translator as well for achieving the awesome conversational style). It provides a nice balance of introductory level explanation and scientific detail, making it palatable to paleo-noobs and paleo-nerds alike.

The arguments for Denisovan evolution, migration, and specimen categorization are all very compelling. I appreciate that time is given to address contradictory theories with a reasoned rebuttal in each instance.

I knew very little about the Denisovan evidence, and what I thought I knew was clearly very muddled. I've enjoyed learning more about the current state of the evidence and look forward to following future discoveries.

[Annie Reads The World · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I've been super fascinated by Denisovans since the first time I've heard about them. I immediately went on a binge of reading about them and this book would have been exactly what I was looking for back then.

I love that one of the authors is a scientist and the other one is a journalist. I always like that dynamic for nonfiction books, it always makes for an informed, enjoyable read.

And this book was definitely both of those things! The writing style was super approachable and easy to read, but I also learned a ton from reading through this book. I read the whole book in a single day and it kept me engaged all the way though.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that's at all interested in the Denisovans.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un très beau voyage depuis les confins de l’Afrique jusqu’au cœur de l’Asie. De Homo heidelbergensis à Denisova, l’évolution d’une espèce à travers les ans, les rencontres, l’environnement. Une écriture qui rend accessible une réalité si lointaine.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Neanderthals found themselves confined to a small, freezing territory during glacial maximums, Denisovans continued to thrive across an immense continent that had expanded due to decreasing sea levels, and still had enough exchanges with their northern relatives to maintain their genetic diversity. [loc. 1844]

Subtitled 'The Epic Story of the Ancient Cousins to Sapiens and Neanderthals', this is an accessible overview of current paleoanthropology as it relates to the Denisovans -- a human species who went extinct around 25,000 years ago, but whose DNA persists in Asian and Oceanic populations. Condemi is a paleoanthropologist, Savatier is a journalist: between them they have produced a very readable text, with boxed sections for the more technical or theoretical aspects of the story.

And it is a story: from the 2010 identification of the new species from DNA in a single finger-bone found in a remote Siberian cave, to ongoing debate about whether the Denisovans were indeed a separate species or whether they should be grouped with other extinct hominids. The species is not yet formally recognised by International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (see this article for current discussion... though Wikipedia now indicates that the Denisovans have been classified as Homo longi) but Condemi and Savatier argue that it is very much a separate species, diverging from the shared ancestor of Neanderthals, Denisovans and Homo sapiens about a million years ago -- and crossbreeding with neanderthalis (definitely) and sapiens (probably). Denisovans and Neanderthals had more in common, genetically, with one another than with Homo sapiens: the prevailing theory seems to be that Denisovans and Neanderthals had the same origin, but evolved differently in Asia and in Europe.

The book offers a good overview of the waves of human migration from Africa, and the differing environmental influences in Asia and in Europe. For instance, the effects of the ice ages were greater in Europe than in East Asia: on the other hand, there were fewer accessible sources of workable stone, which probably meant that early humans used bamboo rather than stone tools -- which won't have survived well. I also learnt that there had been a 'mega meteorite' impact somewhere in Eastern Asia around 800,000 years ago: Condemi and Savatier discuss its likely impact on human populations in the area. And I, with my European focus, wasn't aware of the 'drowned continent' Sundaland, currently below sea level but above water for 40% of the last 250,000 years. This, the authors suggest, is likely where the Denisovans evolved.

Occasionally the book does get technical -- the chapters on analysis of fossil skulls from different species were a struggle for me -- but overall it's a fascinating and very readable volume, full of the history of paleoanthropology as well as the prehistory of humanity.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy, in exchange for this full honest review. UK Publication Date is 19th August 2025.

[Rory Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around 800,000 years ago the third main migration of archaic humans out-of-Africa occurred. It consisted of Homo rhodensiensis (or heidelbergensis) from which emerged Neanderthals (mainly in Europe) and Denisovans (mainly in Asia). Broadly speaking, that means that Denisovans existed (alongside Neanderthals) from about 300,000 years ago to about 30,000 years ago.

Our evidence for the Denisovans is very limited, with just three main cave finds. Bone fragments have emerged from the Denisova cave in the Altai mountains of Siberia. A piece of jaw bone was found in the Baishiya cave in Tibet, and another find occurred in the Cobra cave in Laos.

The extremely limited nature of these finds means that a significant amount of what is known about the Denisovans has had to be inferred from DNA analysis.

One of the things which DNA analysis tells us is that while Neanderthals had hair ranging from red to Chestnut and lighter skins and both blue and brown eyes, Denisovans (probably) had darker skins, brown eyes and brown hair.

Part of what makes the Denisovans so interesting is that they also provide the only direct evidence of inter-breeding among archaic humans. DNA analysis suggests that it must have occurred several times. But the only direct bone evidence is provided by fragments of a 13 year old Denisovan girl (called ‘Denny’) who had a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father.

We know that European Homo sapiens benefited from Neanderthal genes, which helped them with survival in the cold. It also seems to be the case that Denisovan genes helped populations in Tibet by helping to reduce altitude sickness.

Whether it is a benefit or not is debateable, but Denisovans also had three roots on some of their teeth, and that feature can still be seen among modern Homo sapiens. It can only be seen in about 3.5% of non-Asian populations, but it is present in up to 40% of Chinese and Native American populations.

One of the particularly informative aspects of this book is the way that it tries to relate evidence to actual living conditions of the Denisovans. For example, evidence from fish bones shows that the bones were cooked at lower temperatures than an open fire would typically give. So, this seems to suggest a Denisovan technological mastery involving controlling fires and/or burying fish near to fires so that they can slow-cook.

Another interesting comparison was that wear marks on Denisovan teeth show similarities to the patterns on the teeth of Inuit women at the beginning of the twentieth century. The Inuit women’s teeth were worn down by chewing animal skins to soften them for sewing and clothes making. It raises the question whether Denisovans also used that technique in relation to producing clothes.

Overall, this is a fascinating introduction with a lot of information. Possibly it has slightly too much information, as the book is a little ‘dense’ in places. Consequently, it will probably be enjoyed most by graduates, or by readers prepared to give the text the concentration that it needs, to fully appreciate it.

(These are honest comments on an Advanced Review Copy of the text, which was accessed in digital format).

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'd need to have previously read another popular-science sort of book explaining what's been going on in archaic genetics for the past 20 years, to be able to understand this book. Despite the authors' occasional use of friendly metaphors and humorous similes, mostly this book is way down in the paleogenetic weeds. Reading it in galley format does put one at a disadvantage, because it appears that all the tables and charts are omitted. The illustrations are at the back. I was quickly lost in all the Homo species.

I did take away from this many useful facts, partly because I had already read a book or two giving an overview of the subject. As Neanderthal humans were in Europe, Denisovan humans were in Asia - their ancestors left Africa and spread both east and west across the continent of Eurasia. Neanderthals were subject to pressure from the ice ages - they could only go so far south and then they hit the Mediterranean sea, so the populations remained somewhat small and without genetic diversity. This was not true of Denisovans, they had access to south and southeast Asia and wherever they could get to by water. So their population remained larger, and more genetically diversified. When Homo sapiens began spreading across the continent, they interbred with the populations they found there. Thus people of European ancestry have a small percentage of Neanderthal representation in their genome, and people of Asian ancestry have a somewhat larger percentage of Denisovan representation in their genome. Both groups adapted to their climates and diets over time with skin color, body size, structure of teeth, etc.

The artistic renderings of what they may have looked like didn't seem particularly useful given the incomplete nature of bones discovered so far.

If you are interested in and informed about human evolutionary and genetic history you will probably get a lot out of this very detailed book.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Secret World of Denisovans is a layman accessible monograph on early hominids, Denisovans specifically, written by Drs. Silvana Condemi & François Savatier. Originally published in French in 2024, this English language translation is due out 19th Aug 2025 from The Experiment. It's 272 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

The authors write authoritatively and well, in fairly simplified (mostly jargon-free) language about the fascinating discovery of a single fingertip and DNA evidence in 2010 of yet another hominid cousin who was neither Sapiens -nor- Neanderthal.

Fascinating for any readers who are interested in paleoanthropology, current science, biology, and natural history. The authors meander quite a lot in explaining migratory patterns and probable evolutional patterns and developments, and don't always make clear/explicit connections between the information they're providing (elephant DNA for example) and how it should relate to the Denisovan migrations and possible interaction between them and other early hominids.

It's sparsely illustrated throughout. Although it's not a rigorously academic text, the authors are academics, and have done a stellar job of meticulously annotating the information throughout. The chapter notes and bibliography are likely worth the price of the book for fans of natural history alone. The translation work is seamless, and it doesn't read like a translated book in general.

Four stars. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home library, or gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Giana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up Neanderthal Man by Svante Paabo recently and it resparked my interest in ancient hominids (btw recommend that book if you enjoy this one and/or if you're interested in reading more about the process of figuring out how we sequence ancient DNA- it's fascinating I promise). I was very intrigued by this one because I haven't heard as much about Denisovans as other hominid species, and much of what I have heard has been shrouded in mystery. Condemi and Savatier do a good job of summarizing (what I assume to be) the most current research on the matter, as well as providing a background in what we know about other human species in general.

I found myself highlighting passage after passage that changed the way I thought about what I thought I knew. For example, I knew that the discovery of fire and subsequent invention of cooked food was one major factor in the explosion of brain development in humans, but it never occurred to me that one reason for this is that digestion of cooked food is less costly than raw food so more energy was available to be used by the brain. Are you fascinated yet?

My only (minor) gripe was an inconsistent expectation of audience knowledge. I wish I remembered to highlight examples, but I felt like the authors took the time to give (albeit excellent) explanations of concepts I would think would be more common knowledge than other concepts they breezed right by. I also can't comment on any of the drawings or diagrams as they weren't included in the ARC (unless I'm just blind, in which case, apologies).

[Flavio Burni · Rating 5 out of 5]

La storia dell’evoluzione umana è una delle mie storie preferite. Potete capire allora il mio interesse per questo libro che ci parla di come gli studi sul DNA antico possano rivelare l’esistenza di nuovi nostri antenati, anche in assenza di fossili.

ARGOMENTO: A partire da una falange si scopre l’esistenza di un nuovo nostro antenato: l’uomo di Denisova, cugino di Neanderthal, evoluto in Asia e protagonista dell’espansione umana in tutto il continente. Di lui non abbiamo praticamente fossili, ma solo il codice genetico estratto da frammenti di osso. Ma questa è solo la punta dell’iceberg: a partire da Denisova, gli autori ci portano in un viaggio che riguarda l’evoluzione umana a 360 gradi, ripercorre le tappe della diffusione umana nei continenti e le influenze reciproche tra specie diverse del genere Homo. Sullo sfondo, le lotte tra paleoantropologi che negli ultimi secoli si sono battuti strenuamente per sostenere le più diverse teorie che spiegassero i dati che, dall’inizio del ‘900, hanno iniziato a emergere sempre più numerosi sulla storia evolutiva del genere umano.

VALIDITÀ: Il libro è scritto da specialisti che si occupano direttamente della materia, autori diretti di molte delle scoperete raccontate nel libro. Questo sicuramente offre una garanzia sui contenuti del libro e sulla loro validità scientifica. Certo, come ogni specialista, anche l’autrice paleoantropologa è portatrice di una interpretazione specifica dei dati, ma questo non le impedisce di raccontare (e spiegare) le interpretazioni alternative, ciascuna con i suoi pregi e i suoi difetti. Tantopiù che in alcune zone del mondo la paleoantropologia è spesso piegata a dinamiche ideologiche e politiche, tema sempre messo al centro della discussione.

LEGGIBILITÀ: La lettura è molto scorrevole, ma spesso viene fatto ricorso a terminologie abbastanza specifiche (sempre spiegate, ma con le quali bisogna prendere dimestichezza). Non consiglierei la lettura a un neofita assoluto, ma a chi ha già qualche conoscenza sull’argomento. Questo libro, infatti, con le scoperte su Denisova e sul genoma antico apre un capitolo del tutto nuovo in una materia che, per essere apprezzata a pieno, va già un po’ masticata.

[Ula Tardigrade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it fascinating how discoveries made in the last few decades keep rewriting the evolutionary history of our species. While it is interesting to follow these developments in real time, there is a caveat: we have limited knowledge, and every new scientific paper can radically change the whole picture.

Still, I was happy to find a whole book devoted to the mysterious Denisovans, even if many of the hypotheses presented are speculative (If you want to better understand why we should not rely too much on genomic evidence in this field, I recommend this illuminating book:The Trouble with Ancient DNA: Telling Stories of the Past with Genomic Science by Anna Källén).

Co-written by a paleontologist and a science journalist, it is fairly accessible and certainly provides great background on the current state of knowledge about the evolution of hominids. It's worth mentioning that it's a translation of the French original, so it has a slightly different style and vibe than English-language popular science books.

Thanks to the publisher, The Experiment, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Bee Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret World of Denisovans: A Fascinating Journey into Our Ancient Past ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.75/5)

Silvana Condemi and François Savatier have crafted a captivating exploration of our mysterious ancient cousins, the Denisovans, who were completely unknown until 2010 🦴

This book shines in its accessibility 📚 While I reached for the dictionary multiple times, the authors thoughtfully explain complex concepts by including plain-language definitions - "epiphysis (tip)," making dense scientific material digestible.

What sets this book apart is its interdisciplinary approach 🧪 The authors weave together findings from paleoanthropology, paleogenetics, archaeology, paleoclimatology, and geology like a detective story, where each discipline contributes crucial pieces to solve the puzzle of our ancient past. The genetic analysis sections were my favorite parts! 🧬 Learning how modern populations carry Denisovan DNA and understanding the migration patterns that created this genetic legacy was fascinating.

While the scientific depth occasionally requires patience, the payoff is worth it. This book reshapes how we understand human evolution, showing us that our family tree is far more complex than we previously imagined 🌍

Thank you to The Experiment publishing for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review! 🙏

[Krystelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Sometimes, one has to sit back and marvel at the sheer enormity of the knowledge that we do not yet have about our genetic ancestors. There is so much that we have to learn, and it does truly boggle the mind how far back things go.

This was a very interesting, if not slightly short, book about the Denisovans. I did find that there was a bit of difficulty with the thread of the book, however, I could understand where the author was trying to go with it. I do think that there were some facets of it that were a little disconnected, but it was still interesting.

The book was definitely accessible too, which was fantastic. There’s something to be said for a scientific book that simplifies jargon but doesn’t dumb it down, and this book does that successfully. I would have loved to have a little more meat on the bones of this one, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

[Brent McCollister · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was originally published in French in 2024. Right before I started reading the ARC of the English translation from Netgalley an announcement was made in June 2025 that the Harbin skull aka Homo Longi from China had been identified as a Denisovan through proteomic testing. The main thrust of this book is that Homo heidelbergensis migrated out of Africa and became Homo neanderthalensis in Europe and became Denisovans in the east. This included not only the remains in the Altai mountains in Siberia or in the Tibetan highlands but also the peoples that populated China and southeast Asia. Their belief was that the Harbin skull would be found to be a Denisovan and they were correct. Overall a very satisfying explanation of how they came to this belief that was borne out before it was published in English. I have already ordered a physical copy. It is a very readable book for everyone, whether they have a science background or not.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The discovery of Denisovan DNA in Siberia’s Denisova Cave revolutionized our understanding of human evolution. This book explores the Denisovans—a previously unknown hominid species—their migration across Asia, interactions with other hominids, and their genetic legacy in modern East Asians. Leading researchers detail the fossil evidence and genomic sequencing, rewriting the story of early human migration.

I had high hopes for this book, and it did not disappoint. Well-written and translated, it’s full of the latest science about the Denisovans—practically a revelation on every page. It’s exciting to see how the Denisovans fit into the human tapestry, filling a niche that was unexplained until now.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd never heard of Denisovans before and I'm always up for a book about something I know nothing about.
Neanderthals lived primarily in Europe at the time the first homo sapiens came out of Africa. They died out, but not before interacting with humans to that extent that the DNA of today's average Eurasian is about 2% Neanderthal. Denisovans are the Asian equivalent to Neanderthals. East Asians today have from 1-5% Denisovan DNA.
The most fascinating part of this book was how much scientists can determine about the ancient past from tiny clues. They have been able to reconstruct the appearance and some of the life-style of Denisovans from some partial skeletons, a few teeth, artifacts found near the remains, and especially from extracted DNA.

[Kelsey Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good "pop" paleoanthropological read on Denisovans and the recent discoveries and interpretations of Denisovan spread and migration through the East. I learned a lot about the genetics behind Denisovans so anyone interested in evolution and genetics should give this a read!

The writing was well done and it read at a good pace without too much jargon. My only complaint was the lack of footnotes, however each chapter has its own references at the end of the book.

A huge thank you to The Experiment Publishing for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for my review!

Publishes August 2025!

[djcb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book on the Denisovans, the "Asian Neanderthals", basically. Due to various reasons there are fewer material remains (fossils etc.), though it seems there must have been many more Denisovans than Neanderthals.

The book goes through the details of what we know about the Denisovans and how it was puzzled together, starting from the famous Denisova cave.

I liked the book avoiding some of the "humanist" speculations in Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art (a fascinating book though!)

[Elmira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Silvana Condemi and Fancois Savatier, NetGalley, and The Experiment Publishing for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

In addition to considering the evolution of the Denisovans, this book also reviewed the currently accepted scientific theories of all hominid species. I found all of it thoroughly fascinating. I am not a professional in this field but was able to keep up with the science in the book. There was enough background so that I could make sense of each point, without so much that it became redundant. Excellent book!

[Linda Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read. This is a scientific book and I would guess the reading level is similar to Scientific American. The authors cover a lot of ground, some of which I am familiar with. I was delighted to see that they have pulled together a lot of disparate info on human history of the last one million years with focus on the last 500,000 thousand. They also have a sense of humor, explain why they think a piece of info is good, bad or a maybe, and are well aware that what they propose is an outline that could change with further knowledge development. Definitely recommend.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Among its strengths are the fascinating material, the highly conversational tone, and the witticisms. I found the book to be thorough yet well-paced, never getting bogged down in minutiae. And even though the book discusses many species within the genus Homo, I found it easy to follow. The illustrations were excellent, adding texture to the story. Overall, this was a great read. Thank you to Netgalley and The Experiment for the advance reader copy.

[kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4⭐️

I love anthropology. In another life, I'm an anthropology researcher. This is super interesting without being dry, overly long, or inaccessible. I do wish it included more of a story - it just felt a little lacking in narrative arc. This sounds like a weird criticism for a nonfiction book, but exploration and discovery is fraught with drama, and we do get a little bit of it near the end.

**I received my copy from Netgalley.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting read! I am an archaeology student and I am keen on this subject. The authors have done well to keep this informative but also not too dense - I often find evolutionary books a bit hard to read but this has been a good read. It was a bit dense in some places. I think it did provide a good update on the science of evolution and human history and the new discoveries. I am keen to keep reading. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC

[Koterba · Rating 4 out of 5]

un livre qui remet en perspective certains pans de l'histoire de l'humanité à travers l'exemple d'une espèce qui a été traité de manière assez inégale dans les médias. Sans être une révolution totale de l'histoire de l'humanité ce livre précise, corrige et vulgarise la découverte de Denisova et ce que cela implique pour notre histoire. je recommande sa lecture si vous est êtes fan de paléoanthropologie.