Lost treasures: Peking Man’s bones

Noted: Fortunately, cast copies were taken but the original fossils contain extra details that could settle long-standing debates. For example, was Zhoukoudian fraught with cannibalism? “In later years, the consensus shifted toward the idea that hyenas formed the site, with the humans as victims,” says John Hawks from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “The original fossils would allow a forensic investigation.”