Unearthed Hualongdong fossils reveal secrets of human evolution

HEFEI — Chinese scientists have unearthed dozens of human fossils dating back 300,000 years, the earliest evidence in East Asia of the evolutionary transition toward Homo sapiens, the species to which all modern humans belong.

The fossils, along with animal bones and stone tools, were discovered at the Hualongdong site in Dongzhi county, Anhui province. Researchers presented their findings at a conference in Dongzhi this week, which drew nearly 100 experts, including more than a dozen international scholars.

Since its discovery in 1988, Hualongdong has produced significant finds during excavations ongoing since 2013.

These include nearly 20 ancient human fossils, a well-preserved skull, over 400 stone tools, and numerous bones with evidence of human processing. A recent excavation from April to November 2024 uncovered 11 more human fossils, including a rare metatarsal bone and skull fragments.

Wu Xiujie, a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and leader of the excavation team, said the discoveries suggest the site was home to a large family of more than 20 individuals.

"They had a 'dining hall' for food processing and likely used a now-collapsed karst cave as shelter," Wu said.

The fossils exhibit physical traits between Homo erectus and modern humans, Wu said, including a skull thought to belong to a 13- or 14-year-old girl discovered in 2015. The skull showed a mix of primitive and modern features, such as a flat face, high eye sockets, and an emerging chin — a hallmark of modern humans.

"She looked very similar to us but retained ancient traits," Wu noted.

The stone tools found at the site suggest the Hualongdong inhabitants had advanced technical skills and were on the evolutionary path toward Homo sapiens.

The site, only the second in China after Zhoukoudian to yield such a wealth of human fossils and tools, is critical to understanding human activity during the Middle to Late Pleistocene era, experts say.

Xu Xing, a CAS academician, emphasized the global importance of the Hualongdong discoveries. "The 300,000-year timeframe is critical for understanding modern human origins," he said.

While the dominant theory holds that modern humans originated in Africa and spread globally, new evidence from sites like Hualongdong suggests the process was more complex.

"Some scholars believe modern humans may have originated in multiple regions. Hualongdong could offer support for that theory," Xu said.

International experts echoed these sentiments. Maria Martinon-Torres, director of Spain's National Research Center on Human Evolution, called the site "one of the most significant discoveries in human evolution over the past decade.

"This population shows derived traits linked to the origins of our species," she said.

Yosuke Kaifu of the University of Tokyo said the site fills a critical gap in fossil evidence from the transitional period between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens.

Beyond its evolutionary significance, Charles Musiba of Duke University highlighted Hualongdong as a model for global scientific collaboration.

"Fossil evidence underscores the shared humanity of our species," Musiba said. "The site fosters unity in answering fundamental questions: Who are we, and where did we come from?"

XINHUA