New Middle Pleistocene hominid crania from Yunxian in China

Abstract

Two fossil human crania have been found in Middle Pleistocene terrace deposits of the Han River in Yun county (Yunxian), Hubei province, China (Figs 1 and 2) 1. These damaged but relatively complete adult specimens show a mixture of features associated both with Homo erectus and with 'archaic H. sapiens'. The Yunxian crania (Figs 3 and 4), although crushed and distorted to varying degrees, are unusual in having major elements of the basicranium, palate, face and cranial vault preserved together. The specimens reveal many details of facial and basicranial anatomy rarely seen in hominid crania of comparable antiquity. Moreover, they are the most complete crania of such great age discovered on the Asian mainland. They consequently throw new light on Middle Pleistocene hominid diversity and the relationships among regionally disparate Middle Pleistocene hominids.