Overview
A proposed species based on a robust mandible (Penghu 1) dredged from the Penghu Channel off Taiwan. The mandible has an exceptionally thick corpus, large premolars and molars, and lacks a chin. It is morphologically distinct from all known Asian Homo erectus mandibles and more closely resembles the Hexian and Penghu archaic populations. Dating is uncertain because it was a submarine find; associated fauna suggests an age range of ~450-190 kya. The describers proposed it as a new species, but others consider it a regional variant of Asian H. erectus or an indeterminate archaic Homo. If valid, it suggests greater Homo diversity in Pleistocene East Asia than previously recognized.
Key Fossils
Penghu 1 mandible
Brain Anatomy
No Cranial Data Available
Tools & Technology
No Tool Associations
Diet
Unknown
Phylogenetic Relationships
| Related Species | Relationship | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homo erectus | Synonym | Moderate | May represent a regional variant of Asian H. erectus |
| Homo longi | Contemporary | Weak | Roughly contemporary with H. longi and other East Asian archaic Homo |
Key Specimens
| Specimen | Name | Site | Year | Age (MYA) | Completeness | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penghu 1 | Penghu mandible | Penghu Channel | 2008 | 0.30 | 75.00% | Holotype; robust mandible unlike known Asian H. erectus |
Comparative Anatomy
| Locomotion | Striding biped |
|---|
Only mandible preserved; no postcranial data
Dating Evidence
| Method | Date (MYA) | Uncertainty | Material | Site / Specimen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biostratigraphy | 0.3000 | ± 0.1500 | Associated dredged fauna (Stegodon, Rhinoceros) | Penghu Channel / Penghu 1 |
Scientific References
- (2015). "The first archaic Homo from Taiwan". Nature Communications 6:6037. DOI:10.1038/ncomms7037