Scientists have reconstructed the face of a long-lost human ancestor that may have played a crucial role in our evolution.. Experts used the Harbin skull, also known as the "

Paleoartist John Gertsche used fossils and genetic data from extinct species to create plastic replicas of remains.. The specialist depicted the facial features of an ancient hominid using the ratio of eye and eye socket sizes that African apes and modern humans have, DailyMail writes..

John Gertsche also measured aspects of the skull bone structure to determine the shape and size of the nose. Next, the paleoartist superimposed muscles onto the face to reveal the first real look at the “unknown man.”.

Scientists say this species of human ancestor is named " They lived 200,000-25,000 years ago.

Studies of these fossils and DNA show that Denisovans "

Scientists first sequenced their genetic code in 2010, using a 60,000-year-old finger bone found in Denisova Cave in Siberia. Interestingly, this DNA is found in modern humans around the world, particularly in populations of Papua New Guinea.

Experts say this is strong evidence that Denisovans interbred with Homo sapiens before they went extinct. Along with Neanderthals, these ancient humans are our closest extinct relatives, scientists say.

Researchers believe that interbreeding helped Homo sapiens adapt to new environments as they expanded their range around the world, and thus played an important role in our evolutionary history.

Scientists note that despite a wave of research over the past two decades, much remains unknown about these early humans because their fossil remains are incredibly minuscule compared to Neanderthals..

But thanks to a skull that was hidden in northeastern China for more than 80 years, we can now see what our Denisovan ancestors really looked like. Although it is similar in size to the modern human skull, it has a wider mouth and a more prominent forehead, experts describe.