Eerie ‘hybrid' skull belonged to ‘half human, half neanderthal girl' that died 140,000 years ago aged just 3
The girl, who experts say was just three-years-old at the time, died roughly 140,000 years ago, towards the end of the Middle Pleistocene era.
3
The girl's full skeleton is largely complete, with the left side better preserved
Credit: Tel Aviv University
3
New analysis involving CT scanning suggests the remains belong to a hybrid species of ancient human, according the paper published in the journal L'Anthropologie
Credit: Tel Aviv University
Her remains were found when a
rchaeologists unearthed several human skeletons, including seven adults and three children, while excavating
Skuhl Cave
just south of Haifa, Israel
in 1929.
The girl's full skeleton is largely complete, with the left side better preserved.
Most of the remains were classified as early Homo sapiens; however, there remained some debate due to an unusual mix of skeletal features.
New
analysis involving CT scanning suggests the remains belong to a hybrid species of ancient human, according
published in the journal L'Anthropologie.
READ MORE ON ARCHAEOLOGY
Focusing on the neurocranium - the part of the skull that cups the brain, the mandible - which forms the lower part of the jaw and mouth, as well as teeth the team found characteristics of both Homo sapiens and Neanderthal.
Neanderthals and Homo sapiens had a period of about 5,400 years where both species roamed Earth at the same time.
The relationship between the two species is not wholly understood.
But they traded genes frequently during the period when their populations overlapped.
Most read in Tech
Prehistoric drawings of alien-like half-human creatures found in Amazon
The baby girl may have been a result of this interbreeding, according to the study.
Co-author Anne Dambricourt Malassé of the Institute of Human Paleontology in Paris said that she once thought such a hybridisation was not possible.
The results of their analysis, however, demonstrate that it is possible, although the child in question died very young.
'This study is maybe the first that has put the Skhul child's remains on a scientific basis,' John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who wasn't involved with the study,
'The old reconstruction and associated work, literally set in plaster, did not really enable anyone to compare this child with a broader array of recent children to understand its biology.'
Although, Hawks cautioned that a DNA sample would be needed to officially confirm the study's findings.
"Human populations are variable," he added.
"And there can be a lot of variability in their appearance and physical form even without mixing with ancient groups like Neanderthals."
It wouldn't be the first time a possible ancient human hybrid had been discovered.
In 2018
, scientists analysed a bone fragment excavated from a cave site in Russia
and concluded it belonged to a young girl of about 13 who was the offspring of a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father.
3
Neanderthals and Homo sapiens had a period of about 5,400 years where both species roamed Earth at the same time
Credit: Israel Hershkovitz /Tel Aviv University
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The Irish Sun
08-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Eerie ‘hybrid' skull belonged to ‘half human, half neanderthal girl' that died 140,000 years ago aged just 3
A SKULL unearthed nearly a century ago is now believed to have belonged to a 'half human, half neanderthal girl', according to a new study. The girl, who experts say was just three-years-old at the time, died roughly 140,000 years ago, towards the end of the Middle Pleistocene era. 3 The girl's full skeleton is largely complete, with the left side better preserved Credit: Tel Aviv University 3 New analysis involving CT scanning suggests the remains belong to a hybrid species of ancient human, according the paper published in the journal L'Anthropologie Credit: Tel Aviv University Her remains were found when a rchaeologists unearthed several human skeletons, including seven adults and three children, while excavating Skuhl Cave just south of Haifa, Israel in 1929. The girl's full skeleton is largely complete, with the left side better preserved. Most of the remains were classified as early Homo sapiens; however, there remained some debate due to an unusual mix of skeletal features. New analysis involving CT scanning suggests the remains belong to a hybrid species of ancient human, according published in the journal L'Anthropologie. READ MORE ON ARCHAEOLOGY Focusing on the neurocranium - the part of the skull that cups the brain, the mandible - which forms the lower part of the jaw and mouth, as well as teeth the team found characteristics of both Homo sapiens and Neanderthal. Neanderthals and Homo sapiens had a period of about 5,400 years where both species roamed Earth at the same time. The relationship between the two species is not wholly understood. But they traded genes frequently during the period when their populations overlapped. Most read in Tech Prehistoric drawings of alien-like half-human creatures found in Amazon The baby girl may have been a result of this interbreeding, according to the study. Co-author Anne Dambricourt Malassé of the Institute of Human Paleontology in Paris said that she once thought such a hybridisation was not possible. The results of their analysis, however, demonstrate that it is possible, although the child in question died very young. 'This study is maybe the first that has put the Skhul child's remains on a scientific basis,' John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who wasn't involved with the study, 'The old reconstruction and associated work, literally set in plaster, did not really enable anyone to compare this child with a broader array of recent children to understand its biology.' Although, Hawks cautioned that a DNA sample would be needed to officially confirm the study's findings. "Human populations are variable," he added. "And there can be a lot of variability in their appearance and physical form even without mixing with ancient groups like Neanderthals." It wouldn't be the first time a possible ancient human hybrid had been discovered. In 2018 , scientists analysed a bone fragment excavated from a cave site in Russia and concluded it belonged to a young girl of about 13 who was the offspring of a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father. 3 Neanderthals and Homo sapiens had a period of about 5,400 years where both species roamed Earth at the same time Credit: Israel Hershkovitz /Tel Aviv University
The Irish Sun
19-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Haunting ‘Dragon Man' skull is first ever found from lost human cousin ‘Denisovan' species that lived 217,000 years ago
THE face of humans' most mysterious ancestor has finally been uncovered after 217,000 years. The discovery proves that the 'Dragon Man' of China is indeed a Denisovan, a long lost ancestral species. Advertisement 4 The fossil, which is at least 146,000 years old, reveals Denisovan's had a prominent brow ridge and a brain as large as modern humans and Neanderthals Credit: Xijun Ni It is the first time a near-complete skull has been definitively linked to the extinct people. The fossil, which is at least 146,000 years old, reveals Denisovans had a prominent brow ridge and a brain as large as modern humans and Neanderthals. They even had more modern features, like delicate cheekbones. Their relatively flat lower face doesn't jut out like it does in other primates and more ancient hominins. Advertisement READ MORE ON ARCHAEOLOGY The massive size of the skull also suggests a very large body, which could have helped it survive brutal winters in northeastern China. "Having a well-preserved skull like this one allows us to compare the Denisovans to many more different specimens found in very different places," paleoanthropologist Bence Viola of the University of Toronto, who was not involved in the new study, told " This means we might be able to compare their body proportions and start thinking about their adaptations to climate, for example." Scientists have long speculated about the appearance of the mysterious Denisovans. Advertisement Most read in Science Exclusive Exclusive Other bones relating to the ancient ancestor have been discovered over the decades, such as a But none more intact than the 'Dragon Man' or 'Harbin skull'. Face of oldest direct human ancestor, which lived 3.8million years ago, revealed by scientists A finger bone found in Denisova Cave, Siberia, in 2010 was the first example of the elusive Denisovans - and where they got their unofficial name. "It's really exciting to finally have Denisovan DNA from a nearly complete cranium," Janet Kelso, a computational biologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, told Advertisement "We finally have some insights into the cranial morphology of the Denisovans." 4 Other bones relating to the ancient ancestor have been discovered over the decades, such as a robust jawbone found off the coast of Taiwan in the 2000s which was recently attributed to the Denisovans Credit: Yousuke Kaifu In 2021, a team of Chinese researchers made the controversial claim that a bizarre skull they had found could belong to a previously unknown species. They dubbed this unknown species Homo longi, nicknamed 'Dragon Man', inspired by the Long Jiang Dragon River region where the skull was found. Advertisement The fossil is believed to have been hidden by a Chinese labourer for 85 years, before the man's grandson handed the specimen to Qiang Ji, a palaeontologist at Hebei GEO University in Shijiazhuang in 2018. Ji, who co-authored the original Homo longi paper, suspects the man discovered the artefact himself but failed to report it to authorities. The grandson claimed the fossil was unearthed the fossil in 1933 during bridge-construction work over the Long Jiang river. The construction worker then supposedly buried it in an abandoned well, where it remained until a deathbed confession. Advertisement When Ji published his findings in 2021, Qiaomei Fu of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing - who worked on the very first Denisovan DNA from the Siberian finger bone - wanted to see if they shared any ancient molecules. Ji and Fu's team first attempted to extract ancient DNA from a part of the skull called the petrous bone in the inner ear - where DNA might survive after 146,000 years - and from an attached tooth. They didn't recover any genetic material. But what they did find was sequence fragments from 95 ancient proteins from the petrous samples. Advertisement One protein sequence from the Dragon Man fossil was identical to that of a protein from the Siberian finger bone, as well as Denisovan bones from Tibet and Taiwan, the experts reveal in two papers published in the journals and this week . This protein sequence differed from modern humans and Neanderthals - suggesting the man was likely a Denisovan. "After 15 years, we give the Denisovan a face," said Fu. "It's really a special feeling, I feel really happy." It is understood the new species will adopt the Homo longi name, like we humans are Homo sapiens. Advertisement 4 The massive size of the skull also suggests a very large body, which could have helped it survive brutal winters in northeastern China Credit: Chuang Zhao 4 It is understood the new species will adopt the Homo longi name, like we humans are Homo sapiens Credit: John Bavaro Fine Art / Science Photo Library
Irish Daily Mirror
06-06-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Bible's eighth plague of locusts explained by scientists in terrifying discovery
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have recently unravelled a long-standing mystery documented in the Bible - the reason behind locusts forming massive, crop-destroying swarms. The team was particularly interested in what triggers these typically harmless and solitary insects to dramatically alter their behaviour and gather into vast migrating swarms, a phenomenon that has baffled both scientists and agriculturalists for centuries. These devastating swarms have been destroying crops and causing famines since biblical times. The Book of Exodus recounts locusts as the eighth of ten plagues descended on Egypt, where the Israelites were held captive. "They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields," the scripture describes. The researchers at Tel Aviv University discovered that the gut bacterial composition of a locust, known as the microbiome, undergoes significant changes when the insect becomes part of a larger group, reports the Mirror US. A type of bacteria called Weissella, which is nearly non-existent in the microbiome of solitary locusts, becomes prevalent during the insect's "gregarious phase," which is when they swarm, according to the study's findings. Scientists used a custom-built model to monitor changes in the Weissella bacteria and discovered that swarming enabled the bacteria to spread and infect a large number of locusts, providing a clear evolutionary advantage. Prof. Amir Ayali, who led the study, said: "Our findings do not prove unequivocally that the Weissella bacteria are responsible for the swarming and migration of locusts. The results do however suggest a high probability that the bacteria play an important role in inducing this behaviour - a new hypothesis never previously proposed." Ayali noted the study's findings could have significant implications for the "countless people, animals, and plants all over the globe" still threatened by locust outbreaks. "We hope that this new understanding will drive the development of new means for combating locust outbreaks." Locust swarms can devastate crops and lead to famines. Over the past three years, large areas of Africa, India, and Pakistan have been severely affected by locust swarms. According to Locust Watch, a division of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, the Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria) "is the most destructive migratory pest in the world. "They are ravenous eaters who consume their own weight per day, targeting food crops and forage," it said. A single swarm has "the capacity to consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people," the group added. In 2013, a swarm entered Israel from Egypt. The study from Tel Aviv University was released last month in the peer-reviewed science journal, Environmental Microbiology.
