The fossilized remains may belong to an unknown species of ancient human that once lived in Asia.
The experts analyzed the fossils and reported that it is a piece of the lower right mandible with a short row of teeth. The scientists believe the mandible is from a human ancestor that may have lived between 10,000 and 190,000 years ago.
The scientists dubbed the fossil Penghu 1, and noted it resembled a specimen that lived approximately 400,000 years ago. This hominoid was discovered 600 miles from where the fossilized jawbone was fished.
This makes scientists wonder whether the two fossils represent an unknown human species. However, the scientists are cautious, saying that they cannot jump to any conclusions without further research. They will need to discover the other parts as well in order to establish whether or not the fossils belong to a new species of human ancestor.
The find may suggest that several lineages of extinct humans lived in Asia long before modern human arrived.
Homo sapiens is the only hominins species that survived, with close extinct relatives like Home erectus and the Neanderthals.
As Homo sapiens became more dominant, other hominin species started to disappear. Experts believe that several other species of humans are believed to have lived at the same time and in the same regions.
Yousuke Kaifu, one of the study’s authors, said that the fossilized jawbone can provide a better picture of our human ancestors who may have arrived in Asia 40,000 to 50,0000 years ago.
Kaifu said that the recent discovery is very complex because it provides with new information on the ancestors of modern humans.
The fossilized jawbone was found in the Penghu Channel, which was part of China during the last part of the ice age.
The fishermen sold the fossil to an antique shop and later obtained by the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Taiwan.
Image Source: telegraph.co.uk