'Dragon Man': Scientists in China say new human species is our closest ancestor

[left-of-center2012]

Scientists announced Friday that a skull discovered in northeast China represents a newly discovered human species they have named Homo longi, or “Dragon Man” – and they say the lineage should replace Neanderthals as our closest relatives.

The Harbin cranium was discovered in the 1930s in the city of the same name in Heilongjiang province, but was reportedly hidden in a well for 85 years to protect it from the Japanese army.
It was later dug up and handed to Ji Qiang, a professor at Hebei GEO University, in 2018.

“On our analyses, the Harbin group is more closely linked to H. sapiens than the Neanderthals are – that is, Harbin shared a more recent common ancestor with us than the Neanderthals did,” co-author Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum, London, said. “If these are regarded as distinct species, then this is our sister [most closely related] species.”

It could hold a brain comparable in size to that of modern humans but with larger eye sockets, thick brow ridges, a wide mouth and oversized teeth. “While it shows typical archaic human features, the Harbin cranium presents a mosaic combination of primitive and derived characters setting itself apart from all the other previously named Homo species,” said Ji, a co-author of the study.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3138833/dragon-man-scientists-china-say-new-human-species-our-closest

[Judi Lynn]

1. Massive human head in Chinese well forces scientists to rethink evolution

‘Dragon man’ skull reveals new branch of family tree more closely related to modern humans than Neanderthals

Ian Sample Science editor
@iansample
Fri 25 Jun 2021 11.00 EDT

The discovery of a huge fossilised skull that was wrapped up and hidden in a Chinese well nearly 90 years ago has forced scientists to rewrite the story of human evolution.

Analysis of the remains has revealed a new branch of the human family tree that points to a previously unknown sister group more closely related to modern humans than the Neanderthals.

The extraordinary fossil has been named a new human species, Homo longi or “Dragon man”, by Chinese researchers, although other experts are more cautious about the designation.

“I think this is one of the most important finds of the past 50 years,” said Prof Chris Stringer, research leader at the Natural History Museum in London, who worked on the project. “It’s a wonderfully preserved fossil.”

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/25/massive-human-head-in-chinese-well-forces-scientists-to-rethink-evolution