Humans never knew they were hiding in Asia for 100,000 years.

(NLDO) - Scientists call this mysterious new human species Juluren, meaning "big-headed people", who lived with and even mated with modern humans Homo sapiens.

A research team led by anthropologist Xiujie Wu from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and anthropologist Christopher Bae from the University of Hawai'i (USA) reanalyzed several fossils once thought to be of the ancient human species Denisovans, excavated in China.

A mysterious human species has existed alongside our species for 100,000 years in Asia - Illustration by AI: ANH THU

Several new features have been identified that confirm these fossils are not Denisovans.

But they were not Neanderthals, Homo erectus or Homo sapiens (us).

They were a previously unknown species of human, named Juluren (Homo juluensis), meaning "big-headed people".

Some fossil remains of the new human species have been analyzed - Photo: CAS

According to Science Alert, the combination of characteristics of this new human species shows the mixing of origins between many groups of people of the Homo genus, all living in the same area in Asia from 300,000 to 50,000 years ago.

“Overall, these fossils represent a new large-brained human form,” the authors write in the journal PaleoAnthropology.

The various fossils belonging to Juluren are mainly the remains of the face and jaw, containing classic Neanderthal-like dental features.

But some features are not seen in other known human species, including Denisovans.

According to the authors, this new human species appeared before our Homo sapiens and lived alongside the Homo sapiens population for 100,000 years in East Asia.

These two populations may even have interbred and much interbreeding occurred.

That's not so surprising, because genetic evidence shows that ancient Homo sapiens also interbred with two species, Neanderthals and Denisovans.

In addition to "big-headed people", Neanderthals are also thought to have had larger skulls than us.

Scientists have not yet specifically analyzed the intelligence and technological level of the new human species, but a large brain can go hand in hand with good intelligence, for example, Neanderthals were quite skillful and knew how to make many sophisticated tools and jewelry.

However, some complex and "exclusive" structures in the brain are believed to have helped Homo sapiens gradually become superior and become the only remaining species of the genus Homo (Human genus).

Source: https://nld.com.vn/loai-nguoi-chua-tung-biet-an-nap-o-chau-a-suot-100000-nam-196241203092714293.htm