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New York Post
a day ago
- Science
- New York Post
Fossilized ‘Dragon Man' skull clears up baffling ‘mystery' behind early humans: scientists
A skull, unearthed nearly a century ago, has led to new revelations in the study of human evolution. Known as 'Dragon Man,' the fossil has now been identified as belonging to the Denisovans — a mysterious group of ancient humans whose existence was first revealed through DNA analysis in 2010. The 'Dragon Man' belongs to the Denisovans — a mysterious group of ancient humans. Hebei GEO University Advertisement 'I really feel that we have cleared up some of the mystery surrounding this population,' Qiaomei Fu, a researcher who was a part of the 2010 discovery team and led the new study, told CNN. 'After 15 years, we know the first Denisovan skull.' The findings also provide a glimpse into what the Denisovans may have looked like. Scientists have reconstructed an artist's impression of 'Dragon Man,' showing a robust, blocky face with strong brow ridges, a feature common in other ancient human species. Advertisement With a brain size comparable to both Neanderthals and modern humans, Denisovans would have had a physically powerful appearance, likely adapted to the harsh environments they inhabited. The 'Dragon Man' skull, which dates to 146,000 years ago and was discovered in 1933 by a laborer in Harbin City, China — when it was under Japanese occupation — was long shrouded in mystery. The worker had found the cranium while building a bridge, but rather than handing it over to science, he stashed it at the bottom of a well, where it remained untouched for decades until his death in 2018. His family then donated it to Hebei GEO University, CNN reported. The 'Dragon' Man skull, which was discovered in 1933 by a laborer in Harbin City, China, was long shrouded in mystery. Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Advertisement With the discovery of this nearly complete skull, scientists have finally pieced together a face for the Denisovans, offering new insights into the history of humanity. In 2021, scientists first proposed that the skull might belong to a new species of human, naming it Homo longi, or 'Dragon Man,' which is derived from Heilongjiang, or Black Dragon River, the province where the it was found. The skull's unusual features — such as its massive brow ridges and broad, low face—were unlike those of any previously known human species. However, as exciting as this discovery was, it raised many questions. Advertisement The mystery deepened as researchers struggled to extract DNA from the skull, which had been buried for so long. Despite several attempts, initial efforts to analyze its genetic material proved unsuccessful. It wasn't until scientists turned to a different source — dental plaque — that they found the breakthrough they needed. The DNA pointed to a surprising connection to the Denisovans, an ancient human group that had been identified through a tiny pinky bone found in a Siberian cave over a decade ago. The discovery of this fossil marked the first evidence of Denisovans outside of their original home in Siberia. Until now, no complete Denisovan skull had ever been found, leaving researchers with only small pieces of the puzzle to work with. The 'Dragon Man' skull changes that, providing a much-needed clue to help scientists piece together what these ancient relatives might have looked like. The new research, published in two groundbreaking papers in Cell and Science, not only provided mitochondrial DNA evidence but also revealed protein fragments extracted from the skull that further cemented its Denisovan identity. The analysis of these proteins showed a clear match to known Denisovan traits, confirming the connection beyond doubt. The 'Dragon Man' discovery adds a new layer to our understanding of human evolution, shedding light on a period when multiple human species roamed the Earth. Denisovans, Neanderthals, and early Homo sapiens coexisted and even interbred, leaving behind traces of their DNA in modern humans. In fact, many people today carry small amounts of Denisovan DNA, a legacy of these ancient encounters.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
1930s 'Dragon Man' Finally Gives Elusive Ancient Human Species a Face
A 146,000-year-old skull known as the 'dragon man', thought to be the sole representative of an ancient human species, actually belongs to a larger group of our extinct relatives, the Denisovans, two new papers claim. It's the first skull we have from that group, and it was right under our noses for years. Paleontologist Qiaomei Fu, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, specializes in early modern human settlement in Asia. She led two new studies that reveal the mistaken identity of this skull, using proteins and mitochondrial DNA her team found preserved in the fossil. The 'dragon man' skull was discovered in the 1930s by a construction worker who was erecting a bridge over the Songhua River in Harbin, China, while the region was under Japanese occupation. The province is known as Longjiang, meaning 'dragon river', hence the skull's nickname. The bridge builder kept the specimen to himself, hiding it at the bottom of a well. It was only when his family donated it to Hebei GEO University in 2018 that research on this unique find began. In 2021, the skull was declared a new species of ancient human, Homo longi, but Fu's research rebukes this categorization. That initial description was based on comparative morphology, where paleontologists look at the physical appearance of different fossils to decide where they sit in the family tree. But morphology can mislead: members of the same species often look very different depending on lifestyle and environment. Trying to extract fragile molecular evidence from fossils – especially DNA to compare genetic similarity – is often a destructive and patchy task with no guarantee of payoff, but in this case, Fu and her colleagues had astonishing success. The team was able to retrieve proteins from the skull's petrous bone – one of the densest in the body. They also got hold of mitochondrial DNA (which contains less detail than the DNA stored in a cell nucleus, but is still very useful) from plaque on the dragon man's teeth. Dental plaque is not widely considered a source of DNA, perhaps because it's the result of a biofilm rather than a direct part of the host's body. "The finding that the human DNA of the Harbin specimen is better preserved in the dental calculus than in dense bones, including the petrous bone, suggests that dental calculus may be a valuable source for investigating DNA in Middle Pleistocene hominins," Fu and her team write. These molecules suggest the man is not as unique from other ancient humans as the skull's physical appearance suggests. That's partly because we don't actually have any other complete Denisovan skulls to refer to: until now, they were known only from teeth, one skull fragment, bits of jaw, and a few other body parts. But the dragon man's mitochondrial DNA reveals a species-level relationship to at least five other Denisovan individuals known from fossil remains found in Siberia. And among the amino acid fragments of 95 proteins found within his skull, four were unmistakably Denisovan, and three were direct matches. There are limitations to these sampling methods that leave some room for doubt, but Fu and team's findings are enough to place him among the Denisovans for now. We may have lost a species of ancient human – farewell Homo longi, it was good while it lasted – but it seems we've gained the first ever complete Denisovan skull. Which is pretty wild, given that this missing puzzle piece, a frustrating gap in the paleoanthropologists' catalogue, has actually been in the hands of modern humans for nearly 100 years. As they say, it's always in the last place you look. The research is published in Science and Cell. How Long Would Humans Survive Once The Last Baby Is Born? Humans Have Smoked Meat For Almost 2 Million Years, Study Suggests 'As If Time Froze': France's Deepest Shipwreck Stuns Archaeologists
CNN
a day ago
- Science
- CNN
‘Dragon Man' DNA revelation puts a face to a mysterious group of ancient humans
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. CNN — An enigmatic skull recovered from the bottom of a well in northeastern China in 2018 sparked intrigue when it didn't match any previously known species of prehistoric human. Now, scientists say they have found evidence of where the fossil fits, and it could be a key piece in another cryptic evolutionary puzzle. After several failed attempts, the researchers managed to extract genetic material from the fossilized cranium — nicknamed Dragon Man — linking it to an enigmatic group of early humans known as Denisovans. A dozen or so Denisovan fossilized bone fragments had previously been found and identified using ancient DNA. But the specimens' small size offered little idea of what this shadowy population of ancient hominins looked like, and the group has never been assigned an official scientific name. Scientists typically consider skulls, with telltale bumps and ridges, the best type of fossilized remains to understand the form or appearance of an extinct hominin species. The new findings, if confirmed, could effectively put a face to the Denisovan name. 'I really feel that we have cleared up some of the mystery surrounding this population,' said Qiaomei Fu, a professor at the Institute of Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, and lead author of the new research. 'After 15 years, we know the first Denisovan skull.' Denisovans were first discovered in 2010 by a team that included Fu — who was then a young researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany — from ancient DNA contained in a pinkie fossil found in Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of Russia. Additional remains unearthed in the cave, from which the group gets its name, and elsewhere in Asia continue to add to the still-incomplete picture. The new research, described in two scientific papers published Wednesday, is 'definitely going to be among, if not the, biggest paleoanthropology papers of the year,' and will spur debate in the field 'for quite some time,' said Ryan McRae, a paleoanthropologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, who was not involved in the studies. The findings could help fill in gaps about a time when Homo sapiens weren't the only humans roaming the planet — and teach scientists more about modern humans. Our species once coexisted for tens of thousands of years and interbred with both Denisovans and Neanderthals before the two went extinct. Most humans today carry a genetic legacy of those ancient encounters. Neanderthal fossils have been the subject of study for than a century, but scant details are known about our mysterious Denisovan cousins, and a skull fossil can reveal a great deal. Long in the tooth A laborer in the city of Harbin in northeastern China discovered the Dragon Man skull in 1933. The man, who was constructing a bridge over the Songhua River when that part of the country was under Japanese occupation, took home the specimen and stored it at the bottom of a well for safekeeping. The man never retrieved his treasure, and the cranium, with one tooth still attached in the upper jaw, remained unknown to science for decades until his relatives learned about it before his death. His family donated the fossil to Hebei GEO University, and researchers first described it in a set of studies published in 2021 that found the skull to be at least 146,000 years old. The researchers argued that the fossil merited a new species name given the unique nature of the skull, naming it Homo longi — which is derived from Heilongjiang, or Black Dragon River, the province where the cranium was found. Some experts at the time hypothesized that the skull might be Denisovan, while others have lumped the cranium in with a cache of difficult-to-classify fossils found in China, resulting in intense debate and making molecular data from the fossil particularly valuable. Given the skull's age and backstory, Fu said she knew it would be challenging to extract ancient DNA from the fossil to better understand where it fit in the human family tree. 'There are only bones from 4 sites over 100,000 (years old) in the world that have ancient DNA,' she noted via email. Fu and her colleagues attempted to retrieve ancient DNA from six samples taken from Dragon Man's surviving tooth and the cranium's petrous bone, a dense piece at the base of the skull that's often a rich source of DNA in fossils, without success. The team also tried to retrieve genetic material from the skull's dental calculus — the gunk left on teeth that can over time form a hard layer and preserve DNA from the mouth. From this process, the researchers managed to recover mitochondrial DNA, which is less detailed than nuclear DNA but revealed a link between the sample and the known Denisovan genome, according to one new paper published in the journal Cell. 'Mitochondrial DNA is only a small portion of the total genome but can tell us a lot. The limitations lie in its relatively small size compared to nuclear DNA and in the fact that it is only inherited from the matrilineal side, not both biological parents,' McRae said. 'Therefore, without nuclear DNA a case could be made that this individual is a hybrid with a Denisovan mother, but I think that scenario is rather less likely than this fossil belonging to a full Denisovan,' he added. Mounting evidence The team additionally recovered protein fragments from the petrous bone samples, the analysis of which also suggested the Dragon Man skull belonged to a Denisovan population, according to a separate paper published Wednesday in the journal Science. Together, 'these papers increase the impact of establishing the Harbin cranium as a Denisovan,' Fu said. The molecular data provided by the two papers is potentially very important, said anthropologist Chris Stringer, research leader in human origins at London's Natural History Museum. 'I have been collaborating with Chinese scientists on new morphological analyses of human fossils, including Harbin,' he said. 'Combined with our studies, this work makes it increasingly likely that Harbin is the most complete fossil of a Denisovan found so far.' However, Xijun Ni, a professor at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing who, along with Stringer, worked on the initial Dragon Man research but not the latest studies, said that he is cautious about the outcome of the two papers because some of the DNA extraction methods used were 'experimental.' Ni also said he finds it strange that DNA was obtained from surface dental calculus but not inside the tooth and petrous bone, given that the calculus appeared to be more exposed to potential contamination. Nonetheless, he added that he thinks it is likely the skull and other fossils identified as Denisovan are from the same human species. The goal in using a new extraction approach was to recover as much genetic material as possible, Fu explained, adding that the dense crystalline structure of dental calculus may help prevent the host DNA from being lost. The protein signatures Fu and her team recovered indicated 'a Denisovan attribution, with other attributions very unlikely,' said Frido Welker, an associate professor of biomolecular paleoanthropology at the University of Copenhagen's Globe Institute in Denmark. Welker has recovered Denisovan proteins from other candidate fossils but was not involved in this research. 'With the Harbin cranium now linked to Denisovans based on molecular evidence, a larger portion of the hominin fossil record can be compared reliably to a known Denisovan specimen based on morphology,' he said. A name and a face for Denisovans With the Dragon Man skull now linked to Denisovans based on molecular evidence, it will be easier for paleoanthropologists to classify other potential Denisovan remains from China and elsewhere. McRae, Ni and Stringer all said they thought it was likely that Homo longi would become the official species name for Denisovans, although other names have been proposed. 'Renaming the entire suite of Denisovan evidence as Homo longi is a bit of a step, but one that has good standing since the scientific name Homo longi was technically the first to be, now, tied to Denisovan fossils,' McRae said. However, he added that he doubts the informal name of Denisovan is going anywhere anytime soon, suggesting it might become shorthand for the species, as Neanderthal is to Homo neanderthalensis. The findings also make it possible to say a little more about what Denisovans might have looked like, assuming the Dragon Man skull belonged to a typical individual. According to McRae, the ancient human would have had very strong brow ridges, brains 'on par in size to Neanderthals and modern humans' but larger teeth than both cousins. Overall, Denisovans would have had a blocky and robust-looking appearance. 'As with the famous image of a Neanderthal dressed in modern attire, they would most likely still be recognizable as 'human,'' McRae said. 'They are still our more mysterious cousin, just slightly less so than before,' he added. 'There is still a lot of work to be done to figure out exactly who the Denisovans were and how they are related to us and other hominins.'
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
Chinese laborer hid mysterious skull for 85 years. Now scientists know who is this ancient 'Dragon Man'
The Skull That Defied Classification A Breakthrough in Ancient DNA Live Events Solving a Human Evolution Puzzle What's in a Name? (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In 1933, a laborer working on a bridge in Harbin, northeastern China, stumbled upon a large human-like skull. Suspecting its value, he hid it in an abandoned well, where it remained untouched and unknown to science for more than eight decades. It was only shortly before his death in 2018 that he revealed its existence to his family, who later donated it to Hebei GEO University. What researchers have now uncovered is extraordinary: the skull—nicknamed Dragon Man—likely belonged to a Denisovan, a mysterious and extinct group of archaic scientists first analyzed the fossil, they dated it to at least 146,000 years ago and proposed a new species name, Homo longi, in reference to the Black Dragon River (Heilongjiang) region where it was discovered. The skull's unusual features—flat cheekbones, a massive braincase, thick brow ridges, and an oversized tooth—didn't fit neatly into known human species. Some experts speculated it might be Denisovan, a population known only through a few bone fragments and teeth, mostly found in Denisova Cave in confirmation eluded scientists—until Qiaomei Fu, a geneticist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and one of the scientists who helped first identify Denisovans in 2010, led the recent breakthrough. After years of failed attempts to extract DNA from the skull's bone and tooth, her team turned to a less conventional source: hardened dental plaque. To their surprise, they recovered fragments of mitochondrial DNA from the dental calculus that closely matched the Denisovan findings, published in two landmark studies this week in Cell and Science, also include protein analysis from the skull's petrous bone, which independently confirmed its Denisovan origin.'This is the first time we've linked a full skull to the Denisovans using molecular evidence,' Fu was quoted as saying by CNN. 'It finally puts a face to a name that's been elusive for 15 years.'First identified through a 66,000-year-old pinkie bone in Siberia, Denisovans were a sister group to Neanderthals and shared a common ancestor with modern humans around 600,000 years ago. Though genetic traces of Denisovans have been found in present-day populations in Asia and the Pacific, their physical form remained largely a Harbin skull changes that. Scientists reconstructed its face, revealing a tall male with a broad mouth, wide nose, large teeth, and a brain comparable in size—or slightly larger—than that of modern humans and Neanderthals. Experts believe the skull could represent the most complete Denisovan fossil ever found."This is one of the most significant paleoanthropological discoveries of the year," said Ryan McRae, a paleoanthropologist at the Smithsonian, who was not involved in the research. "It confirms Denisovans weren't just a ghost lineage known from DNA, but a real, robust group of ancient humans."While the discovery confirms a Denisovan identity for the Harbin skull, debate remains over its scientific classification. Some researchers argue that the name Homo longi—proposed in 2021—should now be considered the formal species name for Denisovans, as it's the first Denisovan fossil with a clear morphological like paleoanthropologist John Hawks, believe Denisovans belong within the broader Homo sapiens family, given their ability to interbreed with modern humans and Neanderthals.'Whatever we call them, this is a massive leap forward,' Hawks told the New York Times. 'The mystery of who the Denisovans were is finally beginning to lift.'Looking AheadFu says the discovery is just the beginning. 'Now that we've linked a skull to Denisovans, we can re-examine other mysterious fossils in Asia with fresh eyes,' she goal: to build a clearer picture of what Denisovans looked like across time and geography—and to better understand how their legacy continues in the DNA of people today.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Chinese laborer hid mysterious skull for 85 years. Now scientists know who is this ancient 'Dragon Man'
In 1933, a laborer working on a bridge in Harbin, northeastern China, stumbled upon a large human-like skull. Suspecting its value, he hid it in an abandoned well, where it remained untouched and unknown to science for more than eight decades. It was only shortly before his death in 2018 that he revealed its existence to his family, who later donated it to Hebei GEO University. What researchers have now uncovered is extraordinary: the skull—nicknamed Dragon Man—likely belonged to a Denisovan, a mysterious and extinct group of archaic humans. The Skull That Defied Classification When scientists first analyzed the fossil, they dated it to at least 146,000 years ago and proposed a new species name, Homo longi, in reference to the Black Dragon River (Heilongjiang) region where it was discovered. The skull's unusual features—flat cheekbones, a massive braincase, thick brow ridges, and an oversized tooth—didn't fit neatly into known human species. Some experts speculated it might be Denisovan, a population known only through a few bone fragments and teeth, mostly found in Denisova Cave in Siberia. But confirmation eluded scientists—until now. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks Undo A Breakthrough in Ancient DNA Dr. Qiaomei Fu, a geneticist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and one of the scientists who helped first identify Denisovans in 2010, led the recent breakthrough. After years of failed attempts to extract DNA from the skull's bone and tooth, her team turned to a less conventional source: hardened dental plaque. To their surprise, they recovered fragments of mitochondrial DNA from the dental calculus that closely matched the Denisovan genome. The findings, published in two landmark studies this week in Cell and Science, also include protein analysis from the skull's petrous bone, which independently confirmed its Denisovan origin. Live Events 'This is the first time we've linked a full skull to the Denisovans using molecular evidence,' Fu was quoted as saying by CNN. 'It finally puts a face to a name that's been elusive for 15 years.' Solving a Human Evolution Puzzle First identified through a 66,000-year-old pinkie bone in Siberia, Denisovans were a sister group to Neanderthals and shared a common ancestor with modern humans around 600,000 years ago. Though genetic traces of Denisovans have been found in present-day populations in Asia and the Pacific, their physical form remained largely a mystery. The Harbin skull changes that. Scientists reconstructed its face, revealing a tall male with a broad mouth, wide nose, large teeth, and a brain comparable in size—or slightly larger—than that of modern humans and Neanderthals. Experts believe the skull could represent the most complete Denisovan fossil ever found. "This is one of the most significant paleoanthropological discoveries of the year," said Ryan McRae, a paleoanthropologist at the Smithsonian, who was not involved in the research. "It confirms Denisovans weren't just a ghost lineage known from DNA, but a real, robust group of ancient humans." What's in a Name? While the discovery confirms a Denisovan identity for the Harbin skull, debate remains over its scientific classification. Some researchers argue that the name Homo longi—proposed in 2021—should now be considered the formal species name for Denisovans, as it's the first Denisovan fossil with a clear morphological identity. Others, like paleoanthropologist John Hawks, believe Denisovans belong within the broader Homo sapiens family, given their ability to interbreed with modern humans and Neanderthals. 'Whatever we call them, this is a massive leap forward,' Hawks told the New York Times. 'The mystery of who the Denisovans were is finally beginning to lift.' Looking Ahead Fu says the discovery is just the beginning. 'Now that we've linked a skull to Denisovans, we can re-examine other mysterious fossils in Asia with fresh eyes,' she said. Her goal: to build a clearer picture of what Denisovans looked like across time and geography—and to better understand how their legacy continues in the DNA of people today.
