A new human species, Homo juluensis, has been discovered in Northern China with strikingly large heads. The species lived in small groups and disappeared about 120,000 years ago as modern humans began to migrate across the world.
Homo juluensis: A New Species of Hominid
Physical Characteristics
Homo juluensis is characterized by their strikingly large heads, with Ju Lu meaning “huge head” in Chinese. This new species has been identified through fossils found in two different locations in China, dating back 200,000 years.
Lifestyle and Behavior
Researchers believe that Homo juluensis lived in small groups, which might have made them susceptible to snowstorms. They seemed to disappear about 120,000 years ago as modern humans began to migrate across the world.
Controversy Surrounding Denisovans
The discovery of Homo juluensis has also led to a controversy surrounding the Denisovans. Study authors propose that the Denisovans are actually Homo juluensis and that this research contributes to the “decolonization” of the field so that Asia can assume its rightful place.
Key Points
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A new human species, Homo juluensis, has been discovered in Northern China.
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The species is characterized by their large heads.
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Researchers believe that Homo juluensis lived in small groups and disappeared about 120,000 years ago as modern humans began to migrate across the world.
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The discovery of Homo juluensis has sparked a re-evaluation of the understanding of early humans.
Background
The discovery of Homo juluensis has sparked a re-evaluation of the understanding of early humans. The research suggests that there may be more than one human species to add to the prehistoric list.
New Human Species Discovered in China
Researchers have discovered a new human species, Homo juluensis, in Northern China with an impressive physical feature – large heads.
The ancient human with an impressive head size is shaking up this area of science that lies at the foundation of us, humans. Study authors propose that the Denisovans are actually Homo juluensis and that this research contributes to the “decolonization” of the field so that Asia can assume its rightful place.
In the late 1970s, fossils belonging to 16 individuals were found in two different locations in China. They appeared to belong to a unique species. Thousands of artifacts, stone tools, and animal bones were also uncovered. Strikingly, as lead researchers explained, they seemed to have stumbled upon a horse kill site.
Homo juluensis seemed to have hunted wild horses as a group which they would use entirely, consuming the meat, marrow, and cartilage, and making clothes with the hides with stone tools to survive the brutal winters. With such an evocative snapshot of the inner workings of this proposed new human species, it sparks many questions, as to what happened to them.
Researchers believe that they lived in small groups, which might have made them susceptible to snowstorms, but they seemed to disappear about 120,000 years ago as modern humans began to migrate across the world. A new era for the earliest humans?
- yahoo.com | Extinct hominid from 200,000 year ago in China is likely new human ...
- interestingengineering.com | Extinct human species found in North China with unique large heads
