A million-year-old skull changes the story of human evolution
Baku, September 30, AZERTAC
Scientists have reconstructed a skull found in China that is about one million years old. For decades, its heavy damage made it difficult to study, but new technologies have allowed researchers to restore its original shape,, according to Kazinform News Agency.
The analysis showed that this skull, called Yunxian 2, has a mix of very old features, like those of Homo erectus, and newer ones that look more like modern humans. This makes it a key piece of evidence about how different human groups developed.
Researchers say Yunxian 2 belongs to a branch of humans known as Homo longi, also called “Dragon Man.” This group is thought to be closely related to us (Homo sapiens) and included the mysterious Denisovans, who are mostly known from DNA found in Siberian caves.
The study suggests that the family tree of humans split into different branches more than 1.3 million years ago — much earlier than scientists used to believe. This means modern humans are just one of several lineages that once walked the Earth, many of which lived side by side for thousands of years.
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