CNN —An ancient skull dating back 300,000 years is unlike any other premodern human fossil ever found, potentially pointing to a new branch in the human family tree, according to new research.
Scientists believe the late Middle Pleistocene, which started around 300,000 years ago, was a pivotal period for the evolution of hominins — species that are regarded as human or closely related — including modern humans.
However, this discovery, along with other recent research, is slowly changing what people know of the evolutionary pattern in the late Middle Pleistocene.
It is similarly shaped to the mandible of Homo sapiens, our modern human species that evolved from Homo erectus.
“More fossils and studies are necessary to understand their precise position in the human family tree,” she said.
Persons:
”, María Martinón, Torres, “
Organizations:
CNN, National Research Center, Martinón
Locations:
China, Spain, United Kingdom, Hualongdong, Asia