Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
A new group of ancient humans, the Juluren, has been proposed in Nature by Xiujie Wu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Christopher Bae of the University of Hawai'i. These "large head people" lived in East Asia over 100,000 years ago.
Credit: C. Bae and X. Wu
The Juluren, named for their large skulls, had brains larger than any other hominin of their time, including modern Homo sapiens, raising questions about their cognitive abilities.
Credit: Bae & Wu, Nature Communications, 2024
Fossils like those from Xujiayao exhibit traits that don’t fit with modern humans, Neanderthals, or Denisovans, hinting at a unique evolutionary lineage in East Asia.
Credit: Xing et al., Science Advances, 2019
Anthropologist John Hawks from the University of Wisconsin calls the findings "provocative," emphasizing the untapped complexity of East Asia’s human fossil record.
Credit: johnhawks.net
Juluren fossils reveal Neanderthal-like dental traits alongside unique features not observed in Denisovans, suggesting a blend of ancestral characteristics.
This discovery joins recent revelations like Homo floresiensis (2003) and Homo luzonensis (2007), further complicating the human family tree with new evolutionary branches.
Credit: Cicero Moraes et al (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons
Researchers argue that the variation among East Asian hominins demands a reevaluation of evolutionary models, challenging traditional narratives of human history.
A 2023 fossil in Hualongdong, China, doesn’t fit into any established categories, including Neanderthals, Denisovans, or Homo juluensis, underscoring the diversity of ancient humans.
The Juluren exemplify the intricate web of human evolution, forcing scientists to rethink fossil records and the complexity of interactions between ancient human species.