Ancient Skull Unlike Any Seen Before Found in China, Dating Back 300,000 Years.

Scientists may have discovered a new species of human unlike any seen before. They have found 300,000 years old fossilised remnants of a jaw, cranium, and leg bones of a child in Hualongdong, China. Interestingly, the remains have certain characteristics that have not been found before. 

According to experts at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who are collaborating with researchers from China's Xi'an Jiaotong University, the United Kingdom's University of York, and Spain's National Research Centre on Human Evolution, this might be the finding of a new branch of humans.

What did the scientists find?

The skull is believed to belong to the late Middle Pleistocene era that happened around 300,000 years back. According to researchers, this era played a big role in how species similar to humans, called hominins, changed and evolved. Among all these changes, our ancestors, the modern humans, also started to show up, and they ended up shaping how things turned out in the long run. The bizarre thing about this old skull is that it does not completely resemble the skulls of Neanderthals, Denisovans, or even the modern humans. 

Source: Xiujie Wu/National Research Center on Human Evolution

But here's the twist: it actually shares some similarities with different lineages. The researchers explain that its face looks quite similar to what we see in modern humans today. However, when they looked at the rest of the skull, including the top part and the jaw, they noticed features that are more like what we'd expect from our ancient ancestors.

Interestingly, this skull does not have a chin, which was found in the Denisovans, an extinct species separated from the Neanderthals who lived in the Asian continent around 400,000 years ago. 

Scientists have named this skull ‘HDL 6’. Though it does share some similarities, it does not fit any of the existing taxonomical groups, which may result in the creation of a new branch of human species that may have existed before us. 

However, one important thing to consider is that the skull found is of a 12-13 year old child. A child’s and a fully grown adult’s skeletal structure will vary. 

Regardless, more research is being conducted to study and understand the mystery of this 300,000 year old skull.

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