The ‘large head’ people: Scientists uncover a lost human species in Asia
Reviewed by Chris Melore
HONOLULU — Could another group of ancient humans have lived alongside Homo sapiens? Scientists have identified fossils of a new species of ancient human that once roamed Eastern Asia with an extraordinarily large brain. The fossils, found at the Xujiayao site in northern China, represent a previously unknown group of humans that scientists have dubbed “Juluren” – meaning “large head people” – who lived between 200,000 and 160,000 years ago.
The story begins in the 1970s when researchers unearthed a collection of 21 fossil fragments representing 16 different individuals at the Xujiayao site. But it wasn’t until recent comprehensive analysis that scientists realized just how unique these remains were. The most striking feature? A cranial capacity of approximately 1,700 milliliters – significantly larger than both their predecessors and many modern humans.
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