1.4 Million-Year-Old Fossil Hints Modern Human Faces Were Present Earlier Than Thought [View all]
By Jennifer Nalewicki published 2 days ago
An ancient upper jawbone discovered in Spain reveals the unique facial features of an individual who may be the oldest known ancient human relative in Europe.
A team of paleoanthropologists unearthed the fossil in June at Sima del Elefante (Spanish for "Pit of the Elephant" ), an archeological site in the Atapuerca Mountains near the city of Burgos in northern Spain that's known for its rich fossil record. The fragmented skull is believed to be the oldest of its kind ever found in Europe and includes part of the upper jawbone (maxilla) and a tooth of a hominid who lived approximately 1.4 million years ago, the researchers said in a translated statement(opens in new tab). The hominid group includes all living and extinct members of the human and great ape family tree, including humans and our early human relatives, as well as chimpanzees and gorillas, according to The Australian Museum(opens in new tab).
Prior to this discovery, the earliest known hominid fossils unearthed in Europe (found at Sima del Elefante in 2008) were dated to 1.2 million years ago. That find included a portion of a mandible, or the lower jawbone, and several bone fragments, according to a 2012 study published in the British Dental Journal(opens in new tab).
The most recent discovery came as a surprise to researchers, who weren't expecting to find fossils that were older than those already uncovered at the site.
More:
https://www.livescience.com/ancient-jawbone-hominid-spain
= new reply since forum marked as read