【新华社】改写生命演化史！2025我国古生物学研究在多领域取得突破

Core Insights - The article highlights significant breakthroughs in paleontology within China, showcasing discoveries that reshape the understanding of evolutionary history, from ancient birds to human ancestors [5][9]. Group 1: Avian Evolution - A new bird fossil named "Zhenghe Bamin Bird" was discovered in Zhenghe, Fujian, pushing back the timeline for the emergence of modern bird body structures by nearly 20 million years, indicating that key evolutionary processes began during the Jurassic period [6]. - The "Chicago specimen" of Archaeopteryx, discovered through collaboration between Chinese and American researchers, provides critical evidence for the evolution of skulls and flight adaptations during the transition from dinosaurs to birds [6]. Group 2: Dinosaur Origins - The discovery of Wushi Wudinglong in Chuxiong, Yunnan, represents the oldest known sauropod dinosaur in East Asia, dating back approximately 200 million years, thus extending the fossil record of Chinese dinosaurs [7]. - Research on two ancient fossils revealed new evidence regarding the evolution of jaw joints, demonstrating that the transition from reptiles to mammals involved multiple evolutionary pathways [7]. Group 3: Human Ancestry - The successful capture and sequencing of ancient human genomes from Yunnan clarified the genetic contributions of a mysterious group referred to as "ghost ancestors" in the Tibetan Plateau population [8]. - Innovative methods in ancient protein and DNA analysis confirmed that a nearly complete skull found in Harbin belongs to the Denisovans, providing a clearer picture of this extinct human lineage [8]. - Research on the digital reconstruction of the skull of the "Yunxian Man" suggests it is an early representative of the Dragon Man lineage, significantly advancing the timeline for the divergence of modern humans and other hominins to around 1 million years ago [8].