Scientists rethink human evolution after groundbreaking skull discovery

Scientists have had cause to rethink the timeline of human evolution after discovering a skull in China that could not be classified.

A report on their analysis of the skull published on 25 September says that the skull belongs to an early Denisovan ancestor that must have originated much earlier than thought.

Several other similar skulls have been discovered in China, which the scientists say should be classified as Homo longi and the Denisovans.

A mind bugling discovery

The skull was first discovered decades ago from a riverbank in central China, but scientists could not classify it at the time.

With advances in technology, they have managed to digitally reconstruct the badly damaged skull which is thought to be 1 million years old.

According to the report, the features of the skull suggest that the fossil belonged to the same lineage as a striking specimen called “Dragon Man” and the Denisovans, which are believed to be prehistoric humans with unclear origins.

Based on the reconstruction and 100 other skulls, the report says the findings significantly shifts the timeline for humans, Homo sapiens, and Homo neanderthalensis, pushing it back by 400,000 years. 

Coauthor Chris Stringer, a paleoanthropologist and research leader in human evolution at London’s Natural History Museum said.

“This changes a lot of thinking because it suggests that by one million years ago, our ancestors had already split into distinct groups, pointing to a much earlier and more complex human evolutionary split than previously believed.” 

Decades of work

The research on the skulls has been on for several decades. According to the report, the  skull is one of two partially mineralized specimens first discovered 1989 and 1990 in Yunxian in Shiyan, an area in Hubei province in central China.

The study’s first author, Xiaobo Feng, a professor at Shanxi University in China said the team decided to revisit the skull because of its rarity and relevance to human history.

“We decided to study this fossil again because it has reliable geological dating and is one of the few million-year-old human fossils. A fossil of this age is critical for rebuilding our family tree.”

The scientists have concluded based on the analysis that Homo sapiens, Denisovans and Neanderthals originated much earlier than previously thought, opening the door to new research in human evolution.