Analysis of a 146,000-year-old skull nicknamed "Dragon Man," unearthed in northeastern China, reveals a link to Denisovans, an enigmatic group of early humans. Genetic material extracted from the skull, along with protein analysis, confirms its Denisovan origin. This discovery provides the first complete Denisovan skull, offering crucial insights into their physical appearance and evolutionary relationship with modern humans. The findings, published in Cell and Science, are considered a major breakthrough in paleoanthropology, potentially leading to a renaming of the Denisovan species as Homo longi.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.