A fragment of a face from a human ancestor has been discovered in northern Spain, making it the oldest in Western Europe. The partial skull, found in 2022, consists of a section of the left cheekbone and upper jaw. Estimated to be between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old, the fossil is shedding light on the first inhabitants of Western Europe during the Early Pleistocene epoch. While much of the knowledge about early humans in Western Europe is limited to the Iberian Peninsula, this discovery opens up new possibilities for research in the region.
Although older fossils from human ancestors have been found in Georgia, the Spanish fossil is significant because it demonstrates that early human ancestors were also venturing into Europe during that time period. Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program, explained that while there is evidence of these early arrivals, it remains unclear how long they stayed in the region. The partial skull bears similarities to Homo erectus, a species that emerged around 2 million years ago and spread from Africa to Asia and Europe, with the last individuals dying out around 100,000 years ago.
Study co-author Rosa Huguet, an archaeologist at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in Tarragona, Spain, noted that while the partial skull resembles Homo erectus, there are also anatomical differences. The challenge of identifying which group of early humans a fossil belongs to is heightened when only a single fragment is found, as opposed to a collection of bones with a variety of features. The cave complex in Spain’s Atapuerca Mountains where the new fossil was discovered has previously yielded other significant finds related to the ancient human past, including fossils of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens.
The discovery of the partial skull in northern Spain is providing valuable insights into the early human presence in Western Europe during the Early Pleistocene epoch. This fossil, estimated to be between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old, represents the oldest evidence of human ancestors in the region. While the skull bears similarities to Homo erectus, there are also anatomical differences that distinguish it from this species. Research in the Atapuerca Mountains has also uncovered fossils of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens, further enriching our understanding of human evolution in this area.
The findings from the study shed light on the movement of early human ancestors into Europe during the Early Pleistocene epoch. While much of the available information on early humans in Western Europe is limited to the Iberian Peninsula, the discovery of the partial skull in northern Spain opens up new possibilities for research in the region. The cave complex in the Atapuerca Mountains has been a rich source of archaeological discoveries, providing significant clues to the ancient human past. Researchers are hopeful that continued exploration in the area will yield further insights into the early human presence in Western Europe.
The significance of the partial skull discovery lies in its potential to reshape our understanding of early human migration into Europe. The fossil, estimated to be over a million years old, offers researchers a glimpse into the first inhabitants of Western Europe during the Early Pleistocene epoch. While the exact identity of the early human ancestors represented by the skull remains unclear, its resemblance to Homo erectus suggests a connection to this ancient species. The ongoing research in the Atapuerca Mountains is contributing to our knowledge of human evolution in Western Europe, offering new perspectives on the movement and adaptation of early humans in the region.
