Discovery of More than 40 Teeth in China Challenges Notions About Human Evolution

Experts recently hailed the 2015 discovery as "stunning" where more than 40 teeth were discovered in a southern China Cave dated about 80,000 to 120,000 years back. The same challenges the extensively accepted idea about human evolution

Specifically, the discovery proposed that Homo sapiens were in China roughly 20,000 years ahead of the early modern humans had formerly believed to have left Africa and spread all over the world.

According to a CNN report, it also enticingly hinted at the probability "that a different group of early humans" could have separately evolved in Asia.

Science says though, "not so fast." A new study published yesterday has proposed, perhaps, those in the field should not be eager when it comes to rewriting the timeline on the human origins.

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DNA Discovery of Human Teeth in Fuyan Cave

DNA analysis of two human teeth discovered in the same cave known as Fuyan, as well as teeth and other fossilized remains from more caves in the same region, proposed that it was not likely that early modern humans existed in China quite early.

According to Sydney-based Australian Museum Research Institute associate professor Darren Curnoe, who's also co-author of the paper that came out in the PNAS journal on Monday, their new study means, "it is very unlikely that Homo sapiens reached China" prior to 50,000 years back.

It is always probable that human species reached the country over 100,000 years ago but he added, "but we would have to say that there is no convincing evidence" that favors this currently.

Describing their study, the scientists said they were able to extract DNA from 10 human teeth and instituted the age of other materials found in the cave, including animal teeth, through the use of different mechanisms.

Furthermore, the researchers discovered that the teeth they found were at least around 16,000 years old. The other materials, on the other hand, were roughly less than 40,000 years old.

2015 Study

Curnoe also explained that the study conducted in 2015 depended heavily on the outcomes of a single method of dating which identified the age of cave materials or flowstone that was lying above and underneath the sediments that contained the human teeth. Essentially, flowstone is described in the study as a "sheetlike deposit of rock formed by flowing water."

It is clearly understood, the paper's co-author elaborated that most reliable dates are coming directly from the materials of interest to archaeologists, in this particular occurrence, the human teeth. The experts said their new dates which include direct dates are far younger compared to formerly proposed.

The 2015 study quantified uranium's radioactive decay within cave deposits instead of DNA. London-based Natural History Museum research leader for human evolution Chris Stringer said that the dates specified for Chinese fossilized teeth had always been a standout and it was right to examine them further through the use of different methods.

Nevertheless, Stringer said the research, while interesting, did not absolutely rule out China's early modern humans before 50,000 years back.

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