Another asteroid named after a Chinese scientist has been added to the vast space-to remember the outstanding achievements and contributions of Wu Rukang, the founder of China's physical anthropology and paleoanthropology, the pioneer of the world's "Anthropology", and the academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The International Asteroid Commission approved the official name of the asteroid numbered 317452 as "Wu Rukangxing".
Wu Rukang is the first Chinese physical anthropologist to study human fossils unearthed in China. His research reports on Homo erectus in Lantian, Zhoukoudian, and Hexian counties, and Homo sapiens fossils in Dingcun, Maba, Ziyang, and Jianping have been researching. A must-read reference for Chinese ancient anthropologists.
In the 1960s, Mr. Wu Rukang proposed the concept of "unbalanced human physical development" in the transition from ape to man based on his research on Peking apes. He believed that there was a long transition period from the ancient apes to adults. Creatures belong to the stage of apes and humans. He proposed the establishment of "present-day anthropology" in 1985, and established the new genus name of Lufeng Ancient Ape in 1987, which is widely accepted by the anthropological community.
(Reporter Sun Zifa edited Zeng Chen)
Editor in charge: 【Luo Pan】