Meet the ancient 'big head' people: Scientists uncover a 'lost' human in Asia with an abnormally large skull that lived alongside homo sapiens 100,000 years ago
Share:
Scientists have discovered a 'lost' species of human with an abnormally large skull which lived alongside homo sapiens. Known as the Juluren, meaning 'big head people', this ancient species may have lived in China between 300,000 and 50,000 years ago. Scientists believe they would have had a larger brain than any of the known hominin species, including modern-day humans.
![[Scientists believe that this ancient human would have had the biggest brain of any known hominin based on the abnormal size of its skull (depicted here as digital renders)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/03/12/92738887-14152203-Scientists_believe_that_this_ancient_human_would_have_had_the_bi-a-1_1733229879914.jpg)
'Homo julurensis' would likely have hunted wild horses in small groups, made simple stone tools for cutting, and possibly processed animal hides for clothes. This form of 'large-brained hominin' would have been a relative of the Neanderthals and the Denisovans – another ancient human ancestor.
![[The researchers argue that homo julurensis was a relative of homo erectus (bottom) which lived between 1.89 million and 110,000 years ago]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/03/12/92738803-14152203-The_researchers_argue_that_Homo_Julurensis_Juluren_Homo_was_a_re-a-22_1733228720959.jpg)
Previous studies have tended to lump together lots of different fossils as a single diverse group. However, paleoanthropologist Professor Xiujie Wu from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and anthropologist Dr Christopher Bae from the University of Hawai'i argue that scientists have missed key characteristics in the fossil record.
![[By comparing skull fragments found in China (pictured), the researchers estimate that homo julurensis would have had a skull volume of 1700 ml - much larger than any other known hominin]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/03/12/92735299-14152203-image-a-14_1733227924854.jpg)
In a 'provocative' paper, these scientists claim that some fossils have a mosaic of features which don't fit with any known human species. Researchers claim to have discovered a new species of ancient human with an abnormally large brain by analysing fragments of 300,000 year old skulls (stock image).
![[Scientists discovered teeth and jaw fragments which suggest that homo julurensis would have had some similarities to Neanderthals but have enough differences to be its own species]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/03/12/92735301-14152203-image-a-13_1733227903315.jpg)
Scientists believe that this ancient human would have had the biggest brain of any known hominin based on the abnormal size of its skull (depicted here as digital renders). In the past, any fossil which wasn't either homo sapiens or homo erectus was grouped together as Denisovan, a type of early hominin related to Neanderthal which bred with modern humans in Asia.
![[The scientists call the species Juluren, meaning 'big head people', and claim they would have lived between 300,000 and 50,000 years ago, hunting horses in small groups, and making simple tools (stock image)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/03/12/88723433-14152203-_The_findings_revealed_Neanderthals_were_able_to_adapt_to_their_-a-16_1733228051474.jpg)
