Some 300,000-year-old human fossils discovered in the Hua Long Cave in Anhui Province, China, have been identified as the oldest hominids in East Asia evolving into modern humans.
Chinese scientists recently announced significant findings related to dozens of human fossils dating back 300,000 years. This represents the latest evidence of the evolutionary process leading to Homo sapiens in East Asia.
During a conference held in Anhui Province, scientists reported that the fossils, along with animal bones and stone tools, were discovered at Hua Long Cave in Dongzhi County, Anhui Province.
300,000-year-old human fossils discovered at Hua Long Cave in Anhui Province, Eastern China. (Photo: CCTV News).
Since their discovery in 1988 and subsequent excavations starting in 2013, archaeologists have found nearly 20 ancient human fossils, one well-preserved skull, more than 400 stone tools, and animal bones.
Ms. Wu Xiujie, a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the excavation team leader, stated that the fossils exhibit characteristics similar to both Homo erectus and modern humans.
Specifically, a skull discovered in 2015, believed to belong to a 13-14-year-old girl, shows a combination of primitive and modern traits, such as a flat face, high eye sockets, and a protruding chin—features typical of modern humans.
The stone tools found at the site also indicate that the inhabitants had advanced technical skills and were on the path to evolving into modern humans.
Additionally, the findings suggest that this site housed a large family of over 20 individuals. Notably, this family had a “dining area” for food preparation and possibly a separate shelter, which has now collapsed.
Experts say that Hua Long Cave is the second site in China, after Zhoukoudian, to provide numerous fossils and tools, playing a crucial role in understanding human activity during the Middle to Late Pleistocene.
According to expert Xu Xing from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the 300,000-year timeframe is critical for understanding the origins of modern humans.
Currently, most theories suggest that modern humans originated from Africa and migrated globally; however, new evidence such as that from Hua Long indicates that this process is more complex, suggesting that modern humans may have originated from multiple regions.
According to scientists worldwide, these discoveries could provide additional scientific evidence, contributing to a unified answer to fundamental questions: Who are we, and where do we come from?
