A revolutionary archaeological excavation has uncovered a skull which might belong to a previously unknown species of ‘dragon man.’
Chinese scientists have revealed the skull that represents our nearest ancient cousin to species including the Neanderthals and Homo erectus.
Named dragon man, the prehistoric human probably dwelt with his group in East Asia at least 146,000 years ago, according to Cell’s research in The Innovation.
It was discovered at Harbin, north-east China, in 1933, but only attracted the attention of researchers more recently, and has the capacity to transform our comprehension of human beings.
Prominent UK human evolution authority, Prof Chris Stringer from London’s Natural History Museum, was part of the research team. “In terms of fossils in the last million years, this is one of the most important yet discovered,” he told BBC News, reports the Express US.
View 3 ImagesScientists disagree on the origins of the skull(Image: EUREKALERT!/AFP via Getty Images)
“What you have here is a separate branch of humanity that is not on its way to becoming Homo sapiens (our species), but represents a long-separate lineage which evolved in the region for several hundred thousand years and eventually went extinct.
“We found our long-lost sister lineage,” said Xijun Ni, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Hebei GEO University in Shijiazhuang.
“I said ‘oh my gosh!’. I could not believe that it was so well preserved. You can see all the details. It is a really amazing find!” Compared to other human species’ skulls, its brain is considerably larger and its eye sockets are peculiarly square-shaped. It also features thick Neanderthal-like brow ridges, a broad mouth and significantly larger teeth.
Prof Qiang Ji, from Hebei GEO University, described the remarkable discovery as one of the finest preserved early human skulls ever uncovered.
“It has a mosaic combination of primitive and more modern features, setting itself apart from all the other species of human,” the researcher explained.
Scientists believe the dragon man possessed a robust sturdy build, but they know precious little else as the skull was taken from where it was discovered.
View 3 ImagesThe Dragon Man was first unearthed in the 1930s(Image: EUREKALERT!/AFP via Getty Images)
The experts reckon that Dragon Man was powerfully constructed and hardy. But scant information exists about his lifestyle, because his skull was displaced from its original location.
This means there is presently no archaeological context, such as stone tools, or other cultural elements that could help illustrate the dragon man’s daily existence.
The skull was allegedly found in 1933 by a construction worker helping with bridge construction on the Songhua river flowing through Harbin, in Heilongjiang province. When literally translated Heilongjiang means Black Dragon River, hence the human’s name.
Since the city was under Japanese occupation at the time, a Chinese labourer smuggled it home believing it might be valuable and concealed it at the bottom of his family’s well. The bloke revealed the skull’s existence to his relatives before his death, which is how it ultimately reached scientists.
Dragon Man forms part of a broader collection of human remains discovered in China, including Dali, Jinniushan, Hualongdong, and the Xiahe jawbone from the Tibetan Plateau.
There’s considerable controversy surrounding whether these remains represent early examples of Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, a human group called the Denisovans, or something entirely different.
Prof Marta Mirazon Lahr, from the University of Cambridge, reckons that Dragon Man was, in fact, a Denisovan.
“The Denisovans are this fascinating mystery population from the past. There is a suggestion (from DNA evidence) that the jawbone found in the Tibetan Plateau might be a Denisovan,” she said. “And now because the jawbone from Tibet and Dragon Man look like each other – now we might actually have the first face of the Denisovan.”
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Chinese researchers insist that the difficult-to-classify fossils from East Asia demonstrate the gradual evolution of a new species.
Prof Ni said: “The results will spark a lot of debate, and I am quite sure that a lot of people will disagree with us. But that is science and it is because we disagree that science progresses.”