A 146,000-year-old skull, nicknamed thedragon man, has long intrigued scientists. Discovered in the 1930s in Harbin, China, the skull was initially believed to represent a new, elusive species of ancient humans.

Two new studies published in Science and Cell have shed light on a mysterious skull found in China, and in the process have provided insight into the lives of a previously little-known ancient human.

In the summer of 2021, a team of five Chinese researchers stirred up some controversy by suggesting that an unusual skull unearthed in northeastern China belonged to a previously