Homo longi
| Homo longi Temporal range: Middle Pleistocene | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| HBSM2018-000018(A) cranium | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Haplorhini |
| Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
| Family: | Hominidae |
| Subfamily: | Homininae |
| Tribe: | Hominini |
| Genus: | Homo |
| Species: | †H. longi |
| Binomial name | |
| Homo longi Ji et al., 2021 | |
Homo longi, also called the "Dragon Man", was a proposed species of extinct human.[1] The species was proposed based on the Harbin cranium, a fossil skull found in China.
Discovery & controversy
[change | change source]In two papers published almost at the same time, Ji and his colleagues claimed that the Harbin skull represented a new species. They named it "Homo longi," or Dragon Man.[2] "Long, the dragon" is a symbol of Chinese nationalism.
However, the naming of Homo longi was controversial because the classification was based only on the Harbin skull, not on DNA evidence. Paleoanthropologist María Martinón-Torres said: “It’s premature to name a new species, especially a fossil with no context”.[3]
In June 2025, Chinese scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed the Harbin cranium's mitochondrial DNA and endogenous proteins.[4] They found that the fossil belonged to a Denisovan, another species of extinct human.[4]
Anatomy
[change | change source]The Harbin cranium belonged to someone who had a wide face, a long skull, and a large mouth and nose.[5] The individual had a large brain, similar to modern humans and Neanderthals.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Ji, Qiang; Wu, Wensheng; Ji, Yannan; Li, Qiang; Ni, Xijun (2021-06-25). "Late Middle Pleistocene Harbin cranium represents a new Homo species". The Innovation. 2 (3): 100132. Bibcode:2021Innov...200132J. doi:10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100132. ISSN 2666-6758. PMC 8454552. PMID 34557772.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: article number as page number (link) - ↑ Ancient 'Dragon Man' skull from China isn't what we thought -By Kristina Killgrove, published June 18, 2025 https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/ancient-dragon-man-skull-from-china-isnt-what-we-thought
- ↑ Gibbons, Ann (2021-07-02). "'Dragon Man' may be an elusive Denisovan". Science. 373 (6550): 11–12. doi:10.1126/science.373.6550.11.
- 1 2 Hunt, Katie (2025-06-18). "'Dragon Man' DNA revelation puts a face to a mysterious group of ancient humans". CNN. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ Ni, X.; Ji, Q.; Wu, W.; et al. (2021). "Massive cranium from Harbin in northeastern China establishes a new Middle Pleistocene human lineage". The Innovation. 2 (3): 100130. Bibcode:2021Innov...200130N. doi:10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100130. ISSN 2666-6758. PMC 8454562. PMID 34557770. S2CID 236784246.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: article number as page number (link)
