Ancient Skull May Rewrite Human Origins

An ancient skull unearthed in China may push back the origins of our species by half a million years, challenging long-held beliefs about when—and with whom—early humans roamed the Earth, reports the BBC. The research published in Science suggests Homo sapiens coexisted with Neanderthals and other relatives far earlier than previously imagined. Specifically, the skull suggests humans split from Neanderthals more than 1 million years ago, significantly earlier than the usual estimate of 500,000 to 700,000 years ago, per the Washington Post.

"That's a big change," Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London and co-author of the study tells the Post. "We're talking about something maybe double that for the divergence of those groups." The Chinese and UK-led research group originally assumed the skull dubbed Yunxian 2 was from Homo erectus, an ancestor known for its large brain. But after detailed shape and genetic analysis, the team now believes it fits better with Homo longi, a species from the same evolutionary level as Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens. If so, this would mean those three human branches—sapiens, Neanderthals, and longi—were all present a million years ago, extending their overlap by half a million years or so.

While the research could clarify the confusion around some difficult-to-classify ancient fossils—nicknamed the "muddle in the middle"—many scientists urge caution. Evolutionary geneticist Aylwyn Scally notes that dating these fossils comes with wide margins of error, and more supporting evidence is needed before rewriting textbooks. "One has to be particularly tentative about the timing estimates, because those are very difficult to do, regardless of what evidence you're looking at, be that genetic or fossil evidence," says Scally.

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The damaged skull—which was first discovered in 1990—is believed to have belonged to man about 30 to 40 years old who lived in what is now central China, per France24. Researchers used computer modeling and 3D printing to reconstruct its original form, which helped lead to the new classification. The team emphasizes that their work does not prove Homo sapiens originated in Asia, but it does raise questions about when and where our species emerged and how long we shared the planet with our closest kin.