A skull known as the 'dragon man', believed to belong to a unique ancient human species, has been revealed to actually be part of the Denisovans, according to two new papers.

Discovered in the 1930s in Harbin, China, the skull was initially thought to represent a new species called Homo longi. However, further research using proteins and mitochondrial DNA has shown that it is linked to the Denisovans, a group of extinct human relatives.

Lead researcher Qiaomei Fu and her team were able to extract molecular evidence from the skull, shedding light on its true origins. The skull, found by a construction worker building a bridge, was hidden for years before being donated to a university in 2018.

While the skull's physical appearance suggested a unique species, the molecular analysis revealed similarities to other Denisovan individuals. This discovery marks the first complete Denisovan skull ever found, filling a significant gap in the study of ancient human species.

The research, published in Science and Cell, challenges previous assumptions about the 'dragon man' skull and provides valuable insights into human evolution.