Archaeologists Discover Million-Year-Old Fossil of Human Ancestor in Spain

 Archaeologists have uncovered a fossilized partial facial structure of a human ancestor in northern Spain, marking the oldest known discovery of its kind in Western Europe. The finding, announced on Wednesday, dates back between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years, according to a study published in the journal Nature.


The fossil consists of an incomplete skull fragment, including a portion of the left cheekbone and upper jaw. It was unearthed in 2022 at the Atapuerca archaeological site, a location renowned for yielding significant prehistoric remains. Researchers believe this discovery provides new insights into the presence and evolution of early humans in Europe.

Paleontologist Eric Delson of the American Museum of Natural History, who was not involved in the study, emphasized the significance of the find. "This is an exciting discovery," Delson stated. "It is the first time we have substantial remains that are over a million years old in Western Europe."

Prior to this finding, the earliest known human ancestor fossils in the region were younger, raising questions about when and how early humans migrated to Western Europe. Until now, the most ancient remains of early humans in Europe were found in Dmanisi, Georgia, near the boundary between Eastern Europe and Asia. Those fossils, estimated to be around 1.8 million years old, have long been regarded as crucial evidence of early human dispersal from Africa into Eurasia.

The newly discovered fossil in Spain may help bridge the gap in understanding how early human populations spread across Europe. Researchers are conducting further analyses to determine which species of early humans the fossil belongs to and how it fits into the broader evolutionary timeline.

The Atapuerca site has been a focal point for paleoanthropological research, yielding numerous fossils that have shaped current understanding of early human history. This latest discovery adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that early human ancestors occupied Western Europe much earlier than previously thought.

With continued excavations and advancements in dating techniques, scientists hope to uncover additional fossils that could further illuminate the migration patterns, adaptations, and interactions of early human populations in prehistoric Europe.

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