解锁古人类密码，揭秘鸟类演化史

Core Insights - The article highlights significant breakthroughs in paleontology research in China, showcasing a series of discoveries that contribute to the understanding of evolutionary history and the origins of life on Earth [7][11]. Group 1: Avian Evolution - A new bird fossil named "Zhenghe Bamin Bird" was discovered in Zhenghe, Fujian, which pushes back the timeline for the emergence of modern bird body structures by nearly 20 million years, indicating that key evolutionary processes were already underway during the Jurassic period when dinosaurs dominated [8]. - A new specimen of Archaeopteryx, known as the "Chicago specimen," provides critical evidence for the evolution of skulls and flight adaptations during the transition from dinosaurs to birds, showcasing well-preserved bones, soft tissues, and feathers [8]. 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 to the early Jurassic period, thus extending the fossil record of Chinese dinosaurs [9]. - Research on two ancient fossils revealed new evidence regarding the evolution of jaw joints from reptiles to mammals, with the Chuan Nan Duozhi Beast displaying a unique jaw joint morphology, indicating that this evolutionary path was not singular [9]. Group 3: Human Ancestry - The successful capture and sequencing of over a hundred ancient human genomes from Yunnan clarified the genetic contribution of a mysterious group known as the "ghost ancestors" to the Tibetan Plateau population [10]. - Innovative methods in ancient protein and DNA analysis confirmed that a nearly complete human skull fossil found in Harbin, Heilongjiang, belongs to the Denisovans, providing a clearer depiction of this extinct human lineage [10]. - Research on the digital reconstruction of the skull of the "Yunxian Man" revealed that it is an early representative of the Dragon Man lineage, suggesting that the divergence of modern Homo sapiens from other human lineages occurred around 1 million years ago, significantly altering the timeline of human evolution [10].