“Although it shows typical ancient human characteristics, the Harbin skull presents a mosaic combination of primitive and derived characteristics that distinguishes it from all other previously named races,” said Ji, who led the research.
The name comes from Longjiang, which literally means “Longhe”.
As part of a small community, Longren may live in a forested floodplain environment.
“These populations were originally hunter-gatherers, living on the land,” Stringer said. “Judging from the winter temperature in Harbin today, they seem to have to deal with a harsher cold than the Neanderthals.”
Given the location of the discovered skull and the big man it implies, the team believes that H. longi may have adapted well to the harsh environment and can be dispersed throughout Asia.
