The 'Dragon Man' skull finally redefines human history

A skull discovered in 1933 in Harbin, northeast China , has been identified as belonging to the Denisovans, an extinct human species that coexisted with Neanderthals and Homo sapiens . This find provides the first facial reconstruction of Denisovans, a group known primarily from fragmentary DNA and which until now lacked direct fossil evidence.

The skull was found by a Chinese worker during the construction of a railway bridge during the Japanese occupation . Recognizing its significance, the worker hid the fossil in a pit, where it remained for 85 years. It was in 2018 that his family recovered it and donated it to Hebei Geosciences University for further study. Subsequent research dated the skull to at least 146,000 years old, placing it in the Middle Pleistocene.

Initially, the skull was classified as a new human species, Homo longi, or "Dragon Man." However, recent studies have revealed that the skull belongs to the Denisovans, based on analysis of proteins extracted from dental tartar and mitochondrial DNA fragments recovered from the fossil. These studies, published in the journals Science and Cell , have confirmed the skull's identity as Denisovan, Live Science reports.

It was classified as a new human species, but two recent studies have revealed that the skull belongs to the Denisovans.

The skull displays distinctive features such as a large cranial capacity, a prominent supraorbital ridge, a flat face, and a broad nose, suggesting that the individual was robust and adapted to cold climates . Facial reconstruction from this skull has provided unprecedented insight into the Denisovans, who inhabited large regions of Asia.

The identification of this skull as Denisovan expands our understanding of the diversity of human species that coexisted in Asia during the Middle Pleistocene. It also reinforces the idea that Denisovans had a significant presence in the region, challenging previous assumptions based on fragmentary genetic evidence.

The discovery also raises questions about the classification of other Asian fossils. Some scientists suggest that human remains previously attributed to other species could belong to Denisovans , which could reshape the hominid family tree in Asia.