In 2025, the digital reconstruction of a million-year-old skull known as Yunxian 2 radically challenged the established timeline and geography of human evolution. The Yunxian 2 Reconstruction Originally discovered in 1990 in Hubei Province, China, the skull was so badly crushed it was initially classified as Homo erectus. However, a 2025 study published in the journal Science used advanced CT scanning to "uncrush" the fossil, revealing features that align it with the Denisovan lineage. Rewriting the Family Tree The analysis of Yunxian 2 has several groundbreaking implications for our ancestry: Pushed Back Timeline: The study suggests the split between modern humans (Homo sapiens) and the lineage of Denisovans and Neanderthals occurred more than 1 million years ago. This is roughly double the previously estimated 500,000 to 600,000 years. Closest Relatives: In this new model, Denisovans (grouped within the Homo longi or "Dragon Man" lineage) are identified as the sister group to modern humans. This implies Denisovans are more closely related to us than Neanderthals are, who diverged even earlier, around 1.38 million years ago. Origins Outside Africa: The fossil's age and location raise the possibility that the common ancestor of modern humans and Denisovans may have lived in Western Asia rather than Africa. Identifying "Dragon Man": Separately, a June 2025 study used dental plaque from the nearly complete 146,000-year-old "Dragon Man" skull to provide molecular confirmation that it is indeed a Denisovan specimen.
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Physical Characteristics of the Lineage The Yunxian 2 and related Homo longi specimens display a unique mix of traits: Brain Size: Large braincases (approx. 1,140–1,420 cubic centimeters), comparable to modern humans. Facial Features: Broad faces with flat cheekbones and large, almost square eye sockets. Archaic Traits: Thick brow ridges and oversized teeth, which distinguish them from contemporary Homo sapiens. While these findings offer a potential solution to the "Muddle in the Middle"—the confusing period of human evolution between 300,000 and 1 million years ago—some geneticists remain skeptical, arguing that human history is a "tangled network" of interbreeding rather than a simple tree.
New Scientist
