A team of researchers has made a groundbreaking discovery in China that could rewrite the human evolution timeline. A million-year-old skull, known as Yunxian 2, was previously believed to belong to Homo erectus but modern reconstruction technologies revealed features closer to other species, including Homo longi and Homo sapiens. This finding suggests that humans may have diverged from their ancient ancestors 400,000 years earlier than thought.
The study’s lead researcher, Xijun Ni, said the team was initially stunned by the results, but after re-testing and using various models, they became confident in their findings. The discovery could have significant implications for our understanding of human evolution, particularly in regards to the dispersal of early humans from Africa.
While some experts are excited about the potential breakthrough, others remain cautious, citing ongoing uncertainties in the timeline of human evolution. The study’s conclusions will be disputed and require further validation through genetic analysis and other methods.
The discovery is part of a broader trend of recent research that has complicated our understanding of human origins. As one researcher noted, “Fossils like Yunxian 2 show just how much we still have to learn about our origins.”
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ancient-skull-could-rewrite-human-evolution-timeline-study