Dragon man skull found in china
- Researchers from China have claimed to have found an ancient human skull that could belong to an altogether new species of humans.
- They note that the cranium (the portion that encloses the brain) could be over 146,000 years old.
- The skull was found in the Songhua River in northeast China’s Harbin city.
- The researchers have named the new species Homo longi.
- It has been nicknamed “Dragon Man” for the Dragon River region of northeast China where the skull was found.
- The name is derived from Long Jiang, which literally means ""Dragon River.""
- The skull was reportedly discovered back in 1933 when a bridge was built over the Songhua river
- The skull is at least 140,000 years old but no older than 309,000 years.
- It belonged to a mature male who had a huge brain, massive brow ridges, deep-set eyes and a bulbous nose.
- The skull is huge compared with the average skulls belonging to other human species including our own.
- Its brain was comparable in size to those from our species.
- It is said that Dragon Man could replace Neanderthals as the closest relative to our own species, Homo sapiens.