"A fossilised human skull unearthed in China and dated to around one million years ago may radically change what we know about the origins of our species. Researchers say the analysis suggests Homo sapiens may have emerged at least half a million years earlier than previously thought. The skull, known as Yunxian 2, was discovered in Hubei Province decades ago, but had long been assumed to belong to Homo erectus - the first large-brained human ancestor."
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"From the very beginning, when we got the result, we thought it was unbelievable. How could that be so deep into the past? he told the BBC. But we tested it again and again to test all the models, use all the methods, and we are now confident about the result, and we're actually v"
A fossilised human skull from Hubei Province, China, has been dated to about one million years ago. New computer modelling and genetic analysis indicate anatomical characteristics more aligned with Homo sapiens than with Homo erectus. The skull, Yunxian 2, had been discovered decades earlier and was long assumed to belong to Homo erectus because of its age. The revised analyses suggest Homo sapiens may have emerged at least half a million years earlier than earlier estimates. Research lead Professor Xijun Ni reported initial surprise and described repeated testing of models and methods to reach confidence in the result.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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