China discovers landmark human evolution fossils

China discovers landmark human evolution fossils that trace back to the evolutionary development of Homo Sapiens millenniums ago.

Chinese scientists have uncovered numerous human fossils dating back 300,000 years, marking them as the oldest human remains discovered in East Asia that trace the evolutionary development towards Homo sapiens, the species that includes all modern humans.

These human fossils, alongside a significant number of animal bones and stone tools, were found at the Hualongdong site in Dongzhi County, located in the eastern region of Anhui Province, China.

At an academic conference held this past weekend in Dongzhi County, Chinese researchers presented their latest findings regarding the Hualongdong site. Nearly 100 researchers and scholars, including over a dozen international experts, participated in the event.

The Hualongdong site was first discovered in late 1988, and ongoing excavations since 2013 have led to impressive discoveries. These include around 20 individual human fossils, a mostly complete skull, over 400 stone tools, bone fragments showing signs of artificial cutting, and more than 80 vertebrate fossils.

Between April and November 2024, an archaeological team conducted a new round of digs covering 40 square meters, unearthing 11 human fossils. Notable finds include a well-preserved foot metatarsal, a broken frontal bone, a femur fragment, and eight skull fragments.

Wu Xiujie, a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) and leader of the Hualongdong excavation team, noted that these fossils indicate the presence of a large family of over 20 individuals. They appear to have had a “dining hall” for food processing and likely used a nearby cave as shelter from wild animals, although the cave has collapsed and remains unexplored.

Wu further explained that the fossils from Hualongdong represent ancient humans with features lying between Homo erectus and modern humans, a combination not seen in any other known premodern human fossils.

A skull discovered in 2015 is one of the most important finds at the site. Researchers deduced that the skull belonged to a young girl, around 13 or 14 years old, and it displayed a unique mix of primitive and modern traits, showing early signs of evolution toward modern humans, such as a flat face, high eye sockets, a slender skull, and the early development of a chin.

The foot metatarsal bone found this year is significant, as it is the only one of its kind discovered in China. It may provide valuable insights into the walking posture and height of these ancient humans.

Additionally, the advanced stone tools discovered at the Hualongdong site demonstrate the high level of craftsmanship and intelligence of the people living there 300,000 years ago, signaling their evolutionary transition toward Homo sapiens.

According to Liu Wu, another IVPP researcher, the humans at Hualongdong were the earliest in East Asia to exhibit many characteristics of Homo sapiens, representing a pivotal moment in human evolution. This site offers critical insights into the transition from ancient human forms to modern humans.