Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Dragon Man Skull: Key Denisovan Discovery Reshapes Human Evolution

6/20/2025

29 2

Summary

Story summary

The remarkable "Dragon Man" skull, unearthed in China, has been confirmed as belonging to the Denisovan species, overturning earlier beliefs of it being a new species. Dating back 146,000 years, this ancient find, enriched by DNA from dental plaque, sheds light on Denisovan features and deepens our grasp of human evolution in Asia during the Middle Pleistocene.

1 of 1

Story summary

The remarkable "Dragon Man" skull, unearthed in China, has been confirmed as belonging to the Denisovan species, overturning earlier beliefs of it being a new species. Dating back 146,000 years, this ancient find, enriched by DNA from dental plaque, sheds light on Denisovan features and deepens our grasp of human evolution in Asia during the Middle Pleistocene.