A fossilized partial face — including cheek and upper jaw bones — has been recovered from the Sima del Elefante site in Spain’s Atapuerca region, dated between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old. This is the earliest known facial fossil in Western Europe, and its morphology shows a mix of features, some similar to Homo erectus yet also different, suggesting a more complex picture of early hominin diversity. The find implies that ancient human ancestors made excursions into Europe far earlier than previously well-documented, and that these early groups may have had more varied biology than expected. Continued excavations and analysis could reshape how scientists view the first European settlement.
Source: Phys.org / Nature reporting
Link: https://phys.org/news/2025-03-archaeologists-uncover-oldest-partial-fossil.html
Archaeologists Discover the Oldest Partial Human Face Fossil in Western Europe
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