A new study of 21 ancient teeth found in southern China may provide the strongest evidence yet that early humans and Homo erectus interbred during the Middle Pleistocene.
The fossils, uncovered at the Hualongdong archaeological site and dated to at least 300,000 years ago, display an unusual combination of primitive and modern features that researchers say cannot be explained by linear evolution alone.
Scientists analyzing the teeth say their distinct shape and structure suggest the individuals they belonged to may have shared genetic material with Homo erectus.
The findings, published in the September issue of the Journal of Human Evolution, offer fresh insight into how human evolution unfolded in Asia and hint at a complex web of interactions between ancient hominin groups.
Unusual dental traits point to mixed ancestry
María Martinón-Torres, a paleoanthropologist at the Spanish National Research Center for Human Evolution, said the dental features present a mosaic of traits not typically found together.
She explained that while some aspects of the teeth resemble those of modern humans, others are more archaic and show hints of traits that were seen in H. erectus. This, she said, suggests that various parts of the body may have evolved at different rates across different populations.
The teeth belong to a lesser-known group of ancient humans known as the Hualongdong people. First identified in 2006, these individuals lived around 300,000 years ago in what is now southern China.
A groundbreaking study reveals that a collection of 21 ancient teeth from a mysterious hominin in China may indicate interbreeding between early humans and Homo erectus, challenging our understanding of human evolution in Asia. pic.twitter.com/JJjcCN5tvV
— Nyra Kraal (@NyraKraal) August 5, 2025
Fossils from at least 16 individuals have been recovered from the site, and early analysis once suggested they might be a regional variant of East Asian H. erectus, which had already reached China by 1.7 million years ago.
Hualongdong people show a blend of modern and archaic traits
However, newer studies have challenged that idea. Researchers now say the Hualongdong people had a unique blend of characteristics. Their facial structure appeared similar to Homo sapiens, while their limb proportions were more consistent with H. erectus.
The dental evidence reinforces this picture. The study found that while the wisdom teeth were small and modern in appearance, the molar roots were thick and robust, a feature typically seen in more ancient hominins.
The research team proposed several theories to explain these mixed traits. One possibility is that the Hualongdong population was genetically close to early Homo sapiens but developed independently from other archaic humans, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans.
Another theory suggests gene flow or genetic drift involving Homo erectus may have contributed to their physical makeup. In either case, the researchers say the findings support the idea that interbreeding between humans and Homo erectus may have had a role in shaping the population.
New Asian hominin discoveries reshape the timeline
José María Bermúdez de Castro, a paleobiologist and co-author of the study, said that the Hualongdong discovery shows that human evolution in Asia was far from straightforward. He emphasized that this region was home to several evolutionary paths, each producing anatomically distinct results.
In recent years, more ancient hominin species have been identified in Asia. These include Homo luzonensis in the Philippines (2019), Homo longi in China (2021, later linked to the Denisovans), and Homo juluensis (2024), also from China.
All dates between 300,000 and 150,000 years ago, further highlighting the region’s diversity during a critical time in human prehistory.
As more fossil evidence comes to light, researchers say they are beginning to piece together a more accurate picture of how early human populations evolved across Asia—and how they may have crossed paths and genes along the way.
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