Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing have proposed a provocative idea about one of premodern humanity’s most enigmatic branches. They suggest that Homo denisovensis, the Denisovan man who has long puzzled researchers as an extinct subspecies, might actually belong to the species commonly called Homo longi, sometimes nicknamed the “dragon man.” This notion stems from a growing body of paleontological and proteomic evidence gathered in northeastern China and surrounding regions, and it shows how new discoveries can push the boundaries of how we classify ancient human relatives. The assertion appears in discussions reported by the Guard, highlighting a shift in the interpretation of this lineage as more data accumulate .
In the course of fieldwork and subsequent analyses, archaeologists uncovered an almost complete skull that is estimated to be at least 150,000 years old. The skull’s features—flat facial bones, pronounced brow ridges, wide nasal openings, and notably large teeth—have been cited by experts as aligning with what is described for Homo longi in some scholarly circles. Such morphological traits have long sparked debates about the range of variability within early human populations in East Asia and how they relate to contemporaries elsewhere in Eurasia. This finding adds to the mosaic of evidence suggesting that the lineages we now call Denisovans and Longi may be more closely related than previously thought .
Further clues reinforcing the possible connection came from a cave on the Tibetan plateau, where researchers identified an ancient jawbone that appears to belong to the Denisovan lineage. The discovery prompted a more detailed reexamination of the site, including the sediments visible on the cave walls. Analyses revealed a Denisovan DNA signature in these sediments and a fossil tooth socket structure that bears resemblance to what has been described for the so‑called dragon man. Proteomic tests were used to infer Denisovan origins for the fossil, while the tooth socket morphology provided corroborating anatomical hints that tie the specimen to Homo longi in the eyes of some researchers .
Despite the compelling indicators, scientists caution that a definitive dismissal of Denisovans as a separate branch is not yet within reach. The challenge lies in the fragmentary nature of ancient genetic material from such old specimens. In the case of Homo longi, the preserved genetic material is often too degraded to yield clear DNA comparisons, which slows the ability to confirm a direct genetic kinship with Denisovans through modern sequencing methods. As a result, researchers are relying more on a combination of cranial morphology, dental patterns, and available proteomic data to build a plausible, evidence-based link between these groups. The evolving dialogue illustrates how paleoanthropology increasingly embraces converging lines of evidence to refine the human family tree .
Historical records and earlier scientific syntheses describe the initial peopling of Siberia and neighboring regions, including the Baikal area, as a complex tableau of migrations and interbreeding among hominin populations. The new analyses of Denisovan and Longi connections add a contemporary layer to that story, suggesting that territories once thought to be populated by distinct, isolated groups may have hosted more dynamic and interconnected communities. While the precise genetic relationships remain to be fully clarified, the ongoing research underscores the importance of combining morphological data with biochemical signatures to deepen our understanding of how early humans diversified across Asia and how those lineages eventually intertwined with other ancient populations .