The phylogenetic position of the Yunxian cranium elucidates the origin of <i>Homo longi</i> and the Denisovans

Diverse forms of <i>Homo</i> coexisted during the Middle Pleistocene. Whether these fossil humans represent different species or clades is debated. The ~1-million-year-old Yunxian 2 fossil from China is important for understanding the cladogenesis of <i>Homo</i> and the origin of <i>Homo sapiens</i>. In this study, we restored and reconstructed the distorted Yunxian 2 cranium using recently introduced technology. The results show that this cranium displays mosaic primitive and derived features. Morphometric and phylogenetic analyses suggest that it is an early member of the Asian <i>H. longi</i> clade, which includes the Denisovans and is the main part of the sister group to the <i>H. sapiens</i> clade. Both the <i>H. sapiens</i> and <i>H. longi</i> clades have deep roots extending beyond the Middle Pleistocene and probably experienced rapid early diversification. Yunxian 2 may preserve transitional features close to the origins of the two clades.

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Publication Details

Journal
Science
Published
2025-09-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ado9202
Citations
7
Primary Topic
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
79.42
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article

The phylogenetic position of the Yunxian cranium elucidates the origin of Homo longi and the Denisovans

Qiyu Yin, Fang Qin, Chi Zhang, Chen Tan et al.
7 citations
Science
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
79.42
article

The phylogenetic position of the Yunxian cranium elucidates the origin of Homo longi and the Denisovans

Qiyu Yin, Fang Qin, Chi Zhang, Chen Tan, Qiang Li, Hanwen Zhou, Xijun Ni, Chris B. Stringer, Gao Feng, Dan Lu, Yilu Feng, Xiaobo Feng, Xuchu Huang
article en
7 citations

Abstract

Diverse forms of <i>Homo</i> coexisted during the Middle Pleistocene. Whether these fossil humans represent different species or clades is debated. The ~1-million-year-old Yunxian 2 fossil from China is important for understanding the cladogenesis of <i>Homo</i> and the origin of <i>Homo sapiens</i>. In this study, we restored and reconstructed the distorted Yunxian 2 cranium using recently introduced technology. The results show that this cranium displays mosaic primitive and derived features. Morphometric and phylogenetic analyses suggest that it is an early member of the Asian <i>H. longi</i> clade, which includes the Denisovans and is the main part of the sister group to the <i>H. sapiens</i> clade. Both the <i>H. sapiens</i> and <i>H. longi</i> clades have deep roots extending beyond the Middle Pleistocene and probably experienced rapid early diversification. Yunxian 2 may preserve transitional features close to the origins of the two clades.

ScienceVol. 389(6767)
Natural History Museum (GB), Lingnan Normal University (CN), Shanxi University (CN), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Fudan University (CN), China University of Geosciences (CN), Wuhan University (CN), Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (CN), Polymer Research Institute (RU), Hubei Polytechnic University (CN), People's Hospital of Shiyan (CN), Yunnan Archaeology (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 0%
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
79.42
DOISourceOpenAlex
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