The Denisovans were an ancient group of humans who lived across parts of Asia during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic periods, roughly between 285,000 and 30,000 years ago. They are named after Denisova Cave in Siberia, where a fragment of a finger bone was discovered in 2008, sparking groundbreaking DNA analysis that revealed a previously unknown lineage of archaic humans. Denisovans likely originated in Eurasia around 370,000 years ago and eventually spread through regions like Tibet, Laos, and the Taiwan Strait, with traces of their DNA reaching as far as Melanesia. 

Denisovans are considered a potential new species because:

1. Their DNA and interbreeding

2. A distinct morphology

3. Wide geographic range