The Day the 1-Million-Year-Old Skull "Unzen No. 2" Rewrites Human History — Could Our Origins Trace Back to Asia?

The distorted fossil skull "Yunxian No. 2," discovered in Hubei Province, China, in 1990, has been digitally reconstructed using the latest CT and structured light technologies. The findings suggest that the divergence in the human lineage may have occurred 400,000 to 500,000 years earlier than previously thought, with significant diversification occurring around 1 million years ago. The skull exhibits a mix of Homo erectus-like features and characteristics similar to Homo longi (commonly known as Dragon Man), Denisovans, and modern humans, indicating early divergence and multi-regional evolution in Asia. The study has been published in Science. Meanwhile, Chris Stringer from the Natural History Museum in London acknowledges the potential significance of these findings, but external researchers caution that lineage cannot be determined solely based on morphology. On social media, there are mixed reactions, with some welcoming a reevaluation of the "Out of Africa" model, while others point out the uncertainties in dating and identification. The integration of fossil analysis with ancient DNA/protein analysis and the reevaluation of stratigraphy and dating are expected to be the focus of the next phase of research.