Is the “million-year-old” skull from China a Denisovan or something else?

Here is a 170-word summary of the news article: Researchers have discovered a 'million-year-old' skull in China that could belong to the elusive Denisovan hominins or a previously unknown human ancestor. The skull was found in the Hualongdong site in China's Yunnan province and is estimated to be around 150,000 to 800,000 years old. Analysis of the skull's features suggests it may belong to the Denisovan lineage, a mysterious human species that split from Neanderthals and modern humans around 400,000 years ago. However, some experts argue the skull exhibits a mix of traits that don't neatly fit the Denisovan profile, hinting at the possibility of a new, undiscovered human ancestor. The discovery underscores the ongoing mystery surrounding the Denisovans, whose remains have been scarce compared to other ancient human species. Further analysis of the skull could shed more light on human evolution and the relationships between different archaic human populations that inhabited Asia. The findings highlight how much more there is to uncover about our distant evolutionary past.
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