Fossils found in China may add a new branch to the human family tree

The story of how humans evolved is a long and winding one – and it grows more complicated with each passing year. Discoveries in the past two decades have added new branches to the human family tree, including species such as the hobbit-like Homo floresiensis and the powerfully built Homo naledi.

A pinkie bone recovered from Denisova Cave in Siberia’s Altai Mountains in 2010 also led to the idea of a distinct ancient human population, dubbed the Denisovans, that some people share ancestry with today. Now, researchers are trying to solve the puzzle presented by a collection of humanlike fossils that have defied explanation for decades. Skull fragments, teeth and jaws found at different sites in China have led some researchers to believe they have found the remains of a previously unknown ancient human relative.

The scientists are proposing that the human ancestor, which had an extremely large brain bigger than that of modern humans, be called Homo juluensis. The designation of a newly identified species seems controversial to some experts.

But researchers Christopher Bae, a professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and his colleague Wu Xiujie, a senior professor from Beijing’s Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, believe the species may also include the elusive Denisovans – even though a skull specimen traced to the cave-dwelling people has yet to be found. (CNN)

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