Researchers have re-dated a controversial skull from Petralona Cave in Greece using uranium-series techniques, establishing a minimum age of ~286,000 years for the fossil. The skull does not neatly match known Neanderthals or modern humans, suggesting it may belong to a more primitive or distinct Homo lineage. This supports a scenario where varied hominin populations coexisted in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene. The discovery reignites debates over human diversity in this period, raising new questions about migration, population dynamics, and evolutionary continuity in ancient Europe.
Source: Phys.org
Link: https://phys.org/news/2025-08-mystery-greek-hominin-skull-dated.html
New U-Series Dating Places Ancient Greek Hominin Skull at 286,000 Years
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