The discovery casts doubt on the theory of human African descent
Scientists have discovered the skulls of unknown human fossil ancestors. The find suggests that Neanderthals may have made it to eastern Asia and mingled with the local population there. This confirms the alternative theory that modern people appeared at about the same time, about 100 thousand years ago, not only in Africa, but also in other regions of the planet: Europe and Asia, for example.
The finds, which could force the rewriting of textbooks on the origin of modern man, were made in Henan province, located in eastern China, near the city of Xuchang. In just a few years, 45 bones have been found belonging to five different representatives of Homoerectus. According to the place of discovery, they received the name in the scientific world - people from Xuchang.
Chinese and American scientists from the University of Washington believe that their age is from 100 to 130 thousand years. Paleontologists also believe that they possess characteristics of both Chinese hominids and Neanderthals and modern humans. The remains are being analyzed for DNA.
"Their characteristics are probably the result of the interbreeding of the eastern and western ancestors of modern humans," comments Wu Xiujie, a professor at the Institute of Paleontology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in the Daily Mail.
The discovery confirms the regional theory of the origin of modern man, an alternative to the widespread African theory. Regional theory states that Homoerectus, from which modern humans descended, lived in different parts of the world, not in Africa alone.
The discovery of ancient skulls in China also disproves the theory that Neanderthals had great difficulty in meeting with the local population of other regions. It has been established that from 1 to 6% of the DNA of the inhabitants of Europe and most of Asia was inherited by them from the Neanderthals.
Zakhar RADOV
Promotional video: