Overview

• Researchers dated the Yunxian 2 skull to roughly 940,000 to more than 1,000,000 years and contend it is not Homo erectus.
• Using CT scans, structured‑light imaging and virtual reconstruction, the team restored the deformed fossil and compared it with more than 100 other human fossils.
• The study, led by Xijun Ni with coauthor Chris Stringer, places the specimen in a distinct Asian lineage related to Denisovans and Homo longi.
• The authors say this placement would push the split between the lineage leading to Homo sapiens and sister groups back by 300,000 to 400,000 years.
• Independent experts, including Aylwyn Scally, welcome the analysis but urge caution because Yunxian 2 lacks ancient DNA and further evidence is needed to revise timelines.