Different varieties of Homo, such as Homo Longhi, coexisted during the mid-Pleistocene era. The debate over whether these fossilized humans represent distinct species continues. The 1-million-year-old Yunxian 2 skulls from China are crucial for understanding the beginnings of Homo. In a recent study, paleontologists applied cutting-edge technology to recover and reconstruct the distorted Yunxian 2 fossils. Their findings indicate that this skull exhibits both primitive and advanced features in a mosaic pattern. Team analysis proposes that it belongs to an early Asian branch of Homo Longhi, which is closely related to Denisovan and is a significant part of the clade leading to Homo sapiens.
Reconstruction of Homo Longhi in its habitat. Image credit: Chuang Zhao.
Fossil evidence indicates the presence of multiple forms of Homo during the mid-Pleistocene period.
A significant portion of what we know about human evolution and archaic humanity is based on fossil skulls.
Nonetheless, many specimens from this time are damaged or deformed, creating uncertainty in species classification.
For instance, three human skulls from the Yunxian site in China, dating back nearly a million years, exhibit a mix of primitive traits.
The two already known Yunxian fossils, Yunxian 1 and 2, both show distortion. The newly discovered Yunxian 3 skull is still under analysis.
In this recent study, Dr. Xiaobo Feng, affiliated with Shanghai University and Huqiaotech University, along with his research team from the Yunxian Man Site’s Garden Team Laboratory, utilized advanced CT scanning and digital reconstruction methods to address the compression and distortion present in Yunxian 2.
The team’s analysis reveals a blend of previously unidentified primitive and derived characteristics, suggesting that this fossil belongs to the Asian Homo Longhi clade, closely related to Homo sapiens, which may include Denisovan traits.
Individuals within the Homo Longhi clade display distinctive traits, such as a larger cranial capacity, narrower eye spacing, a pronounced graveller depression, and a lower elongated frontal bone, all of which are evident in the Yunxian 2 fossils.
Researchers further posit that the Yunxian fossil is likely the oldest within the Homo Longhi clade, making it particularly significant.
“With geological ages ranging from 0.94 to 1.1 million years, Yunxian is closely aligned with the theoretical origins of the Longhi and Sapiens clades,” the team stated.
“Phylogenetically, it is nested within the Homo Longhi clade. However, its mosaic characteristics retain some plesiomorphic traits seen in Homo Erectus and Homo Elgustar. While Kabwe and Petralona show shared apomorphic traits, Homo Longhi and Homo sapiens may exhibit transitional functions close to the clade’s origin.”
“The narrow temporal gap between Yunxian and the deeper Longi nodes suggests a swift, early diversification of the Longi clades, similar to those of Sapiens and Neanderthals.”
A study detailing these findings will appear in the journal Science this week.
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Xiaobo Feng et al. 2025. The phylogenetic position of the Yunxian head in relation to Homo Longhi and Denisovan. Science 389 (6767): 1320-1324; doi: 10.1126/science.ado9202
Source: www.sci.news
