Oldest-Known Face Fossil Of Human Ancestor Discovered In Spain

WASHINGTON (AP) — A fossil of a partial face from a human ancestor is the oldest in western Europe, archaeologists reported Wednesday.

The unfinished cranium — a bit of the left cheek bone and higher jaw – was present in northern Spain in 2022. The fossil is between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years previous, in line with analysis published in the journal Nature.

“The fossil is thrilling,” mentioned Eric Delson, a paleontologist on the American Museum of Pure Historical past, who was not concerned within the examine. “It’s the primary time we have now important stays older than 1 million years previous in western Europe.”

A set of older fossils from early human ancestors was previously found in Georgia, close to the crossroads of jap Europe and Asia. These are estimated to be 1.8 million years previous.

The Spanish fossil is the primary proof that clearly reveals human ancestors “have been taking excursions into Europe” at the moment, mentioned Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program.

However there’s not but proof that the earliest arrivals continued there lengthy, he mentioned. “They could get to a brand new location after which die out,” mentioned Potts, who had no function within the examine.

The partial cranium bears many similarities to Homo erectus, however there are additionally some anatomical variations, mentioned examine co-author Rosa Huguet, an archaeologist on the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in Tarragona, Spain.

Homo erectus arose round 2 million years in the past and moved from Africa to areas of Asia and Europe, with the final people dying out round 100,000 years in the past, mentioned Potts.

It may be difficult to determine which group of early people a fossil discover belongs to if there’s solely a single fragment versus many bones that present a variety of options, mentioned College of Zurich paleoanthropologist Christoph Zollikofer, who was not concerned within the examine.

The identical cave advanced in Spain’s Atapuerca Mountains the place the brand new fossil was discovered additionally beforehand yielded different important clues to the traditional human previous. Researchers working within the area have additionally discovered newer fossils from Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens.

The Related Press Well being and Science Division receives help from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Academic Media Group and the Robert Wooden Johnson Basis. The AP is solely accountable for all content material.