STORY: China discovers landmark human evolution fossils
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 6-8, 2024
DATELINE: Dec. 8, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:50
LOCATION: HEFEI, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the discovery from the Hualongdong site in Anhui Province
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WU XIUJIE, Researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), leader of the Hualongdong excavation team
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MARIA MARTINON-TORRES, Director of Spain's National Research Center on Human Evolution
4. various of the 2024 Huanglongdong Site Academic Conference 
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): YOSUKE KAIFU, Professor at the University of Tokyo

STORYLINE:

Chinese scientists have discovered dozens of human fossils dating back 300,000 years, which are the earliest ones found in East Asia in terms of the evolution process towards Homo sapiens, the species to which all modern human beings belong.

They are the earliest ones found in East Asia in terms of the evolution process towards Homo sapiens,
the species to which all modern human beings belong.

The human fossils, along with a large number of fossilized animal bones and stone tools, have been
unearthed at the Hualongdong site in Anhui Province.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WU XIUJIE, Researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), leader of the Hualongdong excavation team
"It is estimated that around 20 individuals lived at the Hualongdong site, forming a large extended family. This conclusion is supported in part by Skull No. 6 of the Hualongdong people, which retains a complete face and mandible, showing signs of evolutionary transition toward modern humans. Based on this, we infer that this group of Hualongdong people was on an evolutionary path leading to modern humans."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MARIA MARTINON-TORRES, Director of Spain's National Research Center on Human Evolution
"I think that this site and the research are really probably some of the most important discoveries in human evolution for the last decade. We are really finding very well-preserved fossils and stone tools, that are completely different from all the findings we were having before here in Asia.
We are looking at how many population that is different from Homo erectus, and it seems that it has some derived features that are related more closely to the origin of our species. So I think this is important for the whole international community."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): YOSUKE KAIFU, Professor at the University of Tokyo
"It's between the famous Homo erectus and our species, Homo sapiens. It's in the middle of those periods, which we don't have so many fossils, so any additional fossils like this are very welcome. And they now have a large number of fossils, and it seems that they are still continuing discovery. So it's really a promising site, and we all are very excited."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hefei, China.
(XHTV)