Scientists Discover New Human Species in China
A team of researchers in china has identified a new human species. It was extincted approximately 200,000 years ago. It was known as Homo longi. The species sheds is a new light on the complexities of human evolution.
The Jiujiang site yielded fossil remains from 16 individuals. This species had large skulls, wide foreheads, and oversized teeth, quite different from Neanderthals and modern humans.
Distinctive Features
Their skull cranial measurements were from 103 to 109 cubic inches, which was much larger than the Neanderthals' at 88 cubic inches and modern humans' at 82 cubic inches.
Adaptation to Harsh Environments
Along with the fossils, there were discoveries of stone tools and artifacts with remains of animals which proved the highly adaptive life of Homo longi. As stated, they were exceptional hunters who derived food from wild horses. The individuals utilized the entire body for edible purposes: the meat, the marrow inside the bones, and cartilage; furthermore, animal hides were used to manufacture clothes in order to sustain the freezing winter.
Expert Opinion
Christopher Bae, a co-author of the study, put these findings into context. "Recent research ventures in China and broader East Asia demonstrate that at least several hominin lineages existed during the Late Quaternary period," he said.
An Arduous Period
Starting about 300,000 years ago, the climate changed profoundly during this era, including periods of glaciation, which forced the extinction of many ancient species.
Small Groups, Big Challenges
Researchers believe that Homo longi individuals lived in small, isolated groups-a factor that contributed to their vulnerability. About 120,000 years ago, as modern humans began migrating out of Africa, they likely intermingled and competed with local populations like Neanderthals and Homo longi.
Comparative Features
Though unrelated to Neanderthals, Homo longi shared dental similarities with Denisovans, an ancient human population identified from Siberian remains. The unusually large molars and almost identical biting surfaces of the two species suggest that Denisovans may not represent a separate species but a population within the Homo longi lineage.
Emergence of a New Species
Results published in Nature suggest that Homo longi could have been the product of genetic mixing with early humans and further adaptation to the Late Quaternary environmental changes. It is most probable that ecological stressors associated with competition from modern humans led to the extinction of this species.
The findings challenge long-standing models of human evolution, revealing greater diversity among ancient populations in East Asia than previously understood. The study's authors noted that the fossil diversity in this region exceeds expectations, deepening our understanding of the complexity of human evolution.
