Archaeologists have uncovered a partial face fossil from a human ancestor, claimed to be the oldest of its kind in Western Europe. Discovered in northern Spain in 2022, this incomplete skull, which includes fragments of the left cheekbone and upper jaw, dates back between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years, as detailed in a recent publication in the journal Nature.
Eric Delson, a paleontologist from the American Museum of Natural History who did not participate in the research, expressed excitement over this revelation. He highlighted its significance as the earliest substantial remains of hominins exceeding one million years in Western Europe. Past discoveries of older human ancestors have primarily been made in Georgia, where fossils estimated to be about 1.8 million years old were found.
Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program, noted that this fossil serves as the first clear evidence indicating that early human ancestors ventured into Europe during that period. However, he mentioned that there is no indication that these early populations established long-lasting settlements, as they might have arrived only to perish shortly thereafter.
The fossil exhibits notable similarities to Homo erectus, though there are also distinctive anatomical differences, according to Rosa Huguet, an archaeologist involved in the study from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in Tarragona, Spain. Revealed to have first emerged around two million years ago, Homo erectus migrated from Africa into Asia and Europe before going extinct approximately 100,000 years ago.
However, distinguishing the precise classification of ancient human fossils can be challenging, particularly when dealing with limited fragments. Christoph Zollikofer, a paleoanthropologist from the University of Zurich, who was not involved in the research, remarked on the difficulties of attributing a single fragment to a specific early human group without more comprehensive skeletal remains.
Notably, the cave complex in Spain’s Atapuerca Mountains, where this significant fossil was unearthed, has previously yielded essential insights into human evolution, including fossils of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens. This ongoing research continues to shape our understanding of human ancestry in Europe and the migrations of early hominins.