Homo longi (Dragon Man, CAGS-HV-PA-01)

Researchers reported that the Homo longi skull, designated CAGS-HV-PA-01, is at least 146,000 years old based on dating of the geological context. The specimen was formally described as a new proposed species in 2021.

The skull was reportedly discovered near Harbin in northeastern China. Its exact discovery circumstances are unclear—the specimen was reportedly found during bridge construction in the 1930s and hidden in a well for decades before being turned over to scientists.

The species designation Homo longi remains debated among paleoanthropologists. Some researchers argue the Harbin skull may represent Denisovans—an archaic human group known primarily from genetic evidence—or could be a variant of Homo heidelbergensis, and the classification is not universally accepted.

The nearly complete Harbin skull combines features of multiple Homo species and preserves a large cranial capacity comparable to modern humans. Researchers have suggested it may represent a previously unrecognized lineage, though alternative interpretations link it more closely to known archaic human groups.