It seems they can't decide whether they are related or not. Well, which is it? Are they related, or are they as you say, "NOT modern humans"?
I don't think you can have it both ways.
P.S. The shells of living mollusks have been dated using the carbon 14 method, only to find that the method gave it a date as having been dead for 23,000 years!(Science vol. 141 1963 pg. 634-637)
Shells from living snails were dated using the Carbon 14 method. The results stated that the snails had died 27,000 years ago. (Science vol. 224 1984 pg. 58-61)
Here in Washington State we have rocks carbon dated at millions of years old that were formed within the last 25 years by Mt. St. Helens.