Between 200,000 and 160,000 years ago, early hominids in northern China, skilled in hunting and tool-making, are believed to have existed. They utilized primitive tools, including spears, to hunt wild horses, consuming various parts of the animals and crafting clothing from hides to endure harsh winters.
Christopher Bae, a professor of anthropology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and his colleague Wu Xiujie have identified this ancient group as a new species, Homo juluensis. The term 'ju lu' translates to 'huge head' in Chinese, highlighting a distinctive physical characteristic of these hominids: relatively large heads with low, wide skulls.
In a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on November 2, Bae noted, “That is a very substantial difference between modern Homo sapiens, Neanderthal and this new proposed species.” The cranial capacity of Homo juluensis ranged from 1,700 to 1,800 cubic centimeters, surpassing modern Homo sapiens, which average about 1,350 cubic centimeters, and Neanderthals at approximately 1,450 cubic centimeters.
The teeth of Homo juluensis have drawn particular interest due to their similarities with those of the Denisovans, a group of archaic humans discovered in Siberia in 2008. Bae and Wu suggest that the Denisovans should be classified under Homo juluensis based on these dental characteristics.
“Recent research initiatives in China, and broader eastern Asia, are showing clearly that multiple hominin lineages were present during the Late Quaternary,” the researchers stated, emphasizing the complexity of human evolution.
The fossils of Homo juluensis were excavated in the late 1970s at Xujiayao, located on the border of Shanxi and Hebei provinces. Additional fossils from Xuchang in Henan province were also attributed to this species. Wu noted that both sites shared inner ear characteristics previously thought to be unique to Neanderthals.
Evidence suggests that these hominids engaged in group hunting strategies, likely surrounding and attacking herds of horses. They processed animal remains at the site, utilizing stone tools to create clothing from hides to combat the cold northern climate.
Bae indicated that the population density of Homo juluensis was likely lower than that of modern humans, who began migrating out of Africa around 120,000 years ago. This migration led to interbreeding, resulting in modern human lineages containing traces of Neanderthal DNA.
As Homo sapiens spread, Homo juluensis began to decline, integrating with early modern humans. Bae and Wu advocate for recognizing Denisova fossils as part of Homo juluensis based on shared dental traits, stating, “From teeth and dating analysis, we think Denisova most likely belongs to Homo juluensis based on their similarities.”
Bae emphasized the need to “decolonise our field for Asian palaeoanthropology to stand on its own,” advocating for the acceptance of the name juluensis. Their findings will be presented at an upcoming science conference in China.