A newly analyzed ancient skull from China's Hubei Province, called Yunxian 2, dating back between 940,000 and 1.1 million years, has been identified as the oldest-known member of an evolutionary lineage related to Denisovans, distinct from Homo erectus.

This discovery challenges traditional views by suggesting that early Homo sapiens may have emerged earlier and possibly in Asia, rather than exclusively in Africa around 300,000 years ago.

Advanced scanning and digital reconstruction of a badly deformed skull found in 1990 have revealed its significance to human evolution, indicating a more complex and earlier timeline.

These findings could prompt debate among scientists, as they challenge recent genetic studies, and further fossil evidence and genetic analysis are necessary to confirm these conclusions.

The new timeline indicates that the divergence among human groups is much older than previously thought, suggesting a prolonged process involving periods of separation and interbreeding, complicating the traditional 'tree' model of human evolution.

This research challenges conventional timelines and may help resolve ongoing debates about human evolutionary history.

The discovery could assist in classifying other ancient fossils from 800,000 to 100,000 years ago, known as the 'muddle in the middle,' by grouping them into major species or primitive ancestors.

The study emphasizes that early human evolution was more complex and occurred earlier than previously understood, reshaping our understanding of human ancestry.

Rapid diversification of human groups around 1.1 and 900,000 years ago suggests significant environmental factors, like severe cold periods, drove these evolutionary events.

The timeline suggests that Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Homo longi co-existed for around 800,000 years, indicating a longer period of overlap and potential interbreeding among these species.

The findings raise questions about the elusive Ancestor X, hinting it may have originated outside Africa, possibly in Western Asia, challenging the traditional African origin hypothesis for modern humans.

This discovery pushes back the divergence time between our ancestors, Neanderthals, and other human relatives by at least 400,000 years, and suggests the common ancestor may have lived in western Asia.