Judge Dread on Nostr: Indirect evidence of human ancestors in Europe 1.9 million years ago. Romanian Fossil ...
Indirect evidence of human ancestors in Europe 1.9 million years ago.
Romanian Fossil Discovery Pushes Earliest Known Hominin Presence in Europe Back to 1.95 Million Years
Scientists have uncovered evidence suggesting that hominins, the ancient relatives of modern humans, were present in Europe at least 1.95 million years ago.
This finding, from the Grăunceanu site in Romania’s Olteț River Valley, represents the earliest-known trace of hominin activity on the continent, predating prior European hominin fossils by more than half a million years.
The discovery, recently published in Nature Communications, hinges on meticulously analyzed cut-marked animal bones unearthed in a fossil-rich region historically overlooked in discussions of early human migration.
According to researchers, these cut marks were made with tools, indicating that hominins were actively butchering animals in what is now central Romania. This marks a pivotal shift in our understanding of early human dispersals beyond Africa.
“The timing of the initial dispersal of hominins into Eurasia is unclear,” researchers wrote. “Our results, presented along with multiple other lines of evidence, point to a widespread, though perhaps intermittent, presence of hominins across Eurasia by at least 2.0 Ma.”
For decades, the Dmanisi site in Georgia, dated 1.8 million years ago, was considered the earliest hominin presence in Eurasia. While numerous sites across Asia and the Middle East hinted at hominin activities earlier than Dmanisi, Europe remained a puzzle.
thedebrief.org/romanian-fossil-discovery-pushes-earliest-known-hominin-presence-in-europe-back-to-1-95-million-years/
Romanian Fossil Discovery Pushes Earliest Known Hominin Presence in Europe Back to 1.95 Million Years
Scientists have uncovered evidence suggesting that hominins, the ancient relatives of modern humans, were present in Europe at least 1.95 million years ago.
This finding, from the Grăunceanu site in Romania’s Olteț River Valley, represents the earliest-known trace of hominin activity on the continent, predating prior European hominin fossils by more than half a million years.
The discovery, recently published in Nature Communications, hinges on meticulously analyzed cut-marked animal bones unearthed in a fossil-rich region historically overlooked in discussions of early human migration.
According to researchers, these cut marks were made with tools, indicating that hominins were actively butchering animals in what is now central Romania. This marks a pivotal shift in our understanding of early human dispersals beyond Africa.
“The timing of the initial dispersal of hominins into Eurasia is unclear,” researchers wrote. “Our results, presented along with multiple other lines of evidence, point to a widespread, though perhaps intermittent, presence of hominins across Eurasia by at least 2.0 Ma.”
For decades, the Dmanisi site in Georgia, dated 1.8 million years ago, was considered the earliest hominin presence in Eurasia. While numerous sites across Asia and the Middle East hinted at hominin activities earlier than Dmanisi, Europe remained a puzzle.
thedebrief.org/romanian-fossil-discovery-pushes-earliest-known-hominin-presence-in-europe-back-to-1-95-million-years/