Recent research progress and popular issues on Chinese human evolution

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Since human fossils were first discovered in Ordos, Inner Mongolia and Zhoukoudian, Beijing in the early 20th century, more than 70 Pleistocene human fossil sites have been found within China. Over the last decade, new human fossil findings in Tianyuan Cave, Chongzuo, Daoxian, Xuchang, among others and related research progress have directed the focus of international paleoanthropology communities to further investigate Chinese human origin and evolution. Some popular research issues include the emergence, evolution, and variation of Chinese Homo erectus and the existence of ancient humans prior to Homo erectus . The topics also extend to the emergence and dispersal of archaic and early modern Homo sapiens in China and the presence of gene communication between Chinese and European ancient humans. Based on the new discoveries of Chinese human fossils and respective research progress, several conclusions can be made. (1) Although some suspicious early human members or artifical stone tools have been found in areas in China, such as Longgupo, Fanchang, Jianshi, and Nihewan basin, these findings are not approved by the international community nor have they been proven to be actual human fossils. As of now, human fossils aging as early as 2.0 million years ago have yet to be discovered in China. As of now, human fossils aging as early as 2.0 million years ago have not yet to be discovered in China. (2) The earliest Homo erectus fossil unearthed from the stratum is the Lantian Gongwangling skull, which is about 1.15−1.63 million years old. (3) More than 10 Homo erectus fossils were found in China, such as Zhoukoudian, Hexian, Nanjing, and so on. During the evolutionary stage of Chinese Homo erectus , the most controversial issue is “whether they are a side–branch of human evolution.” The physical characteristics of Chinese Homo erectus are complex, and the internal variation is very big; thus, different Homo erectus branches or isolated populations probably existed in the late Middle Pleistocene of China. (4) Around 300−100 thousand years ago, some archaic Homo sapiens survived in China; they exhibit a morphological mosaic of East Asian and western contemporaries. During this period, it is probable that many types of ancient humans of genetic mixture existed in China. New human fossil evidences of two early Late Pleistocene crania from Lingjing, Xuchang provide a morphological mosaic relative to their western contemporaries. The two fossils exhibit similar pan-Old World trends in encephalization and in the supraorbital, neurocranial vault, and nuchal gracilization and reflect east Asian ancestry in a having low, sagitally flat and inferiorly broad neurocranium. They also display an occipital and temporal labyrinthine morphology similar to that of the Neandertals. This morphological combination reflects Pleistocene human evolutionary patterns in general biology, regional continuity, and interregional population dynamics. (5) Early modern human fossils have been found from several other sites in China, including Huanglong Cave, Zhiren Cave, and Daoxian. The findings indicate that early modern humans emerged about 100 ka BP in southern China, and fully modern morphology appeared 120−80 ka BP in some regions of southern China. At the same time, in northern China, human groups represented by Xujiayao still maintained primitive morphology and did not evolve into early moderns. Both early modern humans and fully modern humans probably first emerged in southern China, and then dispersed north. Available fossil evidence shows that Late Pleistocene humans in southern China exhibit pronounced variations, and several different evolutionary groups may exist. (6) Based on current human fossils and research progress, it is difficult or impossible to determine if early Chinese modern humans descended from Africa, local archaic humans, or were a crossbreed of the two.