Tianyuan man

Tianyuan man (simplified Chinese: 田园洞人; traditional Chinese: 田園洞人; pinyin: Tiányuándòng Rén) are the remains of one of the earliest modern humans to inhabit East Asia. In 2007, researchers found 34 bone fragments belonging to a single individual at the Tianyuan Cave near Beijing, China.[1] Radiocarbon dating shows the bones to be between 42,000 and 39,000 years old, which may be slightly younger than the only other finds of bones of a similar age at the Niah Caves in Sarawak on Borneo.

Isotope analysis suggests that a substantial part of the diet of these individuals came from freshwater fish.[2]

Tianyuan man is considered an early modern human. It lacks several mandibular features common among western Eurasian late archaic humans, showing its divergence. Based on the rate of dental occlusal attrition, it is estimated he died in his 40s or 50s.[3]

DNA tests published in 2013 revealed that Tianyuan man is related "to many present-day Asians and Native Americans".[4][5][6][7][8] He had also clearly diverged genetically from the ancestors of modern Europeans.[5] He belonged to mitochondrial DNA haplogroup B.

Tianyuan man exhibits a unique genetic affinity for GoyetQ116-1 from Goyet Caves that is not found in any other ancient individual from West Eurasia. He shares more alleles with today's people from the Surui and Karitiana tribes in Brazil than other Native American populations, suggesting a population related to Tianyuan man was once widespread in eastern Asia.[9]

His Y haplogroup was K2b.[10]