Dragon Man, scientists find ancient Chinese ethnicity dating back a myriad years
Previously proposed as a new species named
Homo longi
, recent research now links it more closely to the Denisovans—a little-understood hominin group known mostly from DNA and fragmentary fossils. This shift is based on both morphological comparisons and genetic evidence, which show that Dragon Man shares key features with known Denisovan remains.
Estimated to be over 140,000 years old, the Dragon Man skull could be the most complete Denisovan specimen ever found.
Its discovery challenges prior assumptions about the geographic range and diversity of the
Denisovans
, who are believed to have interbred with
early modern humans
in Asia. The skull's size, thick brow ridges, and robust jaw align with what little is known about Denisovan anatomy from bone fragments found in Siberia and Tibet.
If confirmed, this fossil would help bridge major gaps in the human evolutionary timeline and shed light on the physical characteristics of a group previously known mostly through genetic studies.
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It also raises the possibility that other fossils previously assigned to
Homo erectus
or unidentified archaic humans in Asia may belong to the Denisovan lineage. Further study of the Dragon Man skull could help scientists better understand how Denisovans adapted to diverse climates, interacted with other hominins, and contributed to the genetic makeup of modern human populations in Asia and Oceania.
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