Latest news with #CatalanInstituteofHumanPaleoecologyandSocialEvolution
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Western Europe's oldest human face discovered in Spain
The research team at the Atapuerca archaeological sites in Burgos, Spain, has just broken its own record by discovering, for the third time, the oldest human in Western Europe. The team did so for the first time in 1994, when they unearthed the remains of a new human species, which they named Homo antecessor, at the TD6 level of the Gran Dolina site. These fossils, dated to around 900,000 years ago, challenged the previous notion that the earliest human presence in Western Europe was no older than half a million years. Beyond the numbers, Homo antecessor also had a surprisingly modern-looking face. The Gran Dolina hominids exhibited a flat face that was, despite their antiquity, very similar to that of our own species, Homo sapiens. In a beautiful scientific paradox, Homo antecessor showed us the oldest face of modern humanity. In 2007, in the Sima del Elefante (Pit of the Elephant), a site no more than 300 metres from the Gran Dolina, the oldest human in Europe was found once again. This time it was a human jawbone, found in level TE9, dated to approximately 1.2 million years ago. The new jawbone, catalogued as ATE9-1, had a number of primitive features in the anterior part of the chin region and symphysis, which is logical given its great age. However, on the inner surface of the symphysis, the bone was vertical and more slender than expected, especially in comparison with other contemporary hominids. Even so, the fossil was too fragmentary to be assigned to any species, or even to confirm or rule out its belonging to Homo antecessor. ATE9-1 was therefore classified as Homo sp., a term which recognised its belonging to the genus Homo, but also accepted our inability to refine it further with the evidence available at the time. In 2022, against all odds, the excavation team at the Sima del Elefante site discovered the left half of a hominid face from level TE7. This fossil was found two and a half metres below the level where the ATE9-1 jawbone had been found, which meant that it was even older. Over the following two years, our interdisciplinary and multi-institutional team – with substantial support from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES) and the National Centre for the Investigation of Human Evolution (CENIEH) – devoted itself to studying and restoring the fossil. We used both classical methods and advanced imaging techniques, including X-ray microtomography, which allowed us to visualise the interior of the fossils and manipulate them digitally without having to touch them. This meant we were able to reconstruct the puzzle, and compare it with other specimens without having to access the original fossils, which are scattered all over the world. The new fossil was nicknamed 'Pink', an allusion to Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side of the Moon, which translates into Spanish as 'La cara oculta de la luna' – 'cara oculta' means 'hidden face'. I must also admit that the research team adopted this name in recognition of our colleague Rosa Huguet, researcher at IPHES-CERCA, coordinator of the work at the Sima del Elefante site, and the lead author of the study, published in the journal Nature – 'Rosa' is Spanish for 'pink'. The main conclusion of study just published in Nature is that Pink does not belong to the species Homo antecessor. The new fossil presents clear differences in the facial area, which is more robust and projected forward, in clear contrast with the slender face of the Gran Dolina hominids. Furthermore, we believe that in Pink the nose area was flattened and sunken, similar to that of the species Homo erectus and other non-human primates. However, ATE7-1, as Pink was officially catalogued, also has some characteristics that do not allow us to classify it directly as H. erectus, such as its comparatively narrower and shorter face shape. In view of these features, the Atapuerca team has decided to classify Pink as 'Homo affinis erectus' (abbreviated as H. aff. erectus). This term recognises its similarities to H. erectus, but leaves open the possibility that it may belong to another species altogether. This discovery reveals the existence of a human species that, until now, had not been documented in Europe. The European Pleistocene family photo album previously included H. antecessor, Neanderthals and modern humans. We can now add the slightly blurred photograph of a new relative, in the hope that further studies and more fossils will bring it into sharper focus. The discovery also leads us to reflect on the research that can and should be done. There is no doubt that Atapuerca is an exceptionally rich archaeological and palaeontological site. For years now, the caves in Burgos have shown their ability to capture evidence, however scarce and fragmentary, of each and every one of the periods in which Europe was inhabited. While luck does have a part to play in Atapuerca it is, above all else, tenacity and commitment that have made it such a significant area. Nothing is left to chance, and the site is proof that when you take science seriously, it yields results. In order for research in Atapuerca to prosper, it has taken time and constant dedication, both from the researchers and from the institutions that support it and ensure its sustainability. Let us hope that this achievement will give us the encouragement we need to continue to look towards new horizons. Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en The Conversation, un sitio de noticias sin fines de lucro dedicado a compartir ideas de expertos académicos. Lee mas: We modelled how early human ancestors ran – and found they were surprisingly slow The first Europeans reached Ukraine 1.4 million years ago – new research How a giant prehistoric elephant skull helped untangle an evolutionary mystery The excavation and research team at Atapuerca receives funding from the Castille and León Department of Culture and Tourism, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (PID2021-122355NB-C31, C32, C33 MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ FEDER, EU), and the Atapuerca Foundation.
Telegraph
12-03-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Scientists discover new species of early human
Face bones from the oldest human ever discovered have been found in western Europe – and they belong to a species that archaeologists did not know existed. An adult jaw and cheekbone dating between 1.1 and 1.4 million years ago were found in a cave at the Sierra de Atapuerca in northern Spain. Experts originally thought that the fossilised fragments belonged to the species Homo antecessor – an extinct early human known to have inhabited the area about 860,000 years ago. But the face shape was found to be more primitive, resembling Homo erectus, a far earlier species that arrived in south-eastern Europe about 1.8 million years ago. The fossil, provisionally classified as Homo affinis erectus, is the earliest hominid found so far in Western Europe. Dr Rosa Huguet, of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution, said: 'This study introduces a new actor in the story of human evolution in Europe. 'During the early Pleistocene more than one human species lived in Europe and the first hominid was not antecessor as we previously believed.' The dispersed facial fragments were discovered in 2022 at the Sima del Elefante cave complex in Atapuerca, but it has taken until now for researchers to piece them back together and understand their origin. Dr Maria Martinon Torres, an honorary professor of anthropology at University College London and the director of the Spanish National Research Centre for Human Evolution, said: 'Our discovery proves that at least two different species of human populated Western Europe during the Pleistocene era and it provides fascinating insight into the evolution of the genus Homo. 'The evidence is still insufficient for a definitive classification, which is why it has been assigned to H. aff. Erectus [Homo affinis erectus]. 'We are documenting for the first time a hominid population that we did not know we had in Europe. The density of hominid populations in Europe is so low that the evidence of finding habitation is quite extraordinary.' The early humans lived in a 'humid forest landscape' peppered with wooded areas, wet grasslands and seasonal water sources, which would have provided rich hunting grounds and abundant plant life. Fossilised pollen remains suggested Mediterranean-like plants and bones of hippopotamus, pigs and horses were discovered. Although the human remains were found inside the caves, the animals and tools were found outside, leading experts to think they spent most of their time in the open air. Archaeologists believe that the bones may have been carried inside by water or gravity after death. As well as the bones, archaeologists uncovered stone tools and animal remains with cut marks, showing that the early humans were adept at butchery. About 6,000 bone fragments, ranging from aurochs to beavers were uncovered at the site. Dr Xosé Pedro Rodríguez-Álvarez, a specialist in lithic industries, said: 'Although the quartz and flint tools found are simple, they suggest an effective subsistence strategy and highlight the hominins' ability to exploit the resources available in their environment.' The team is planning to further study the bones to try to pin down the species and even find out if the remains were male or female. Dr Eudald Carbonell, the co-director of the Atapuerca Project, said: 'The discovery of evidence for different hominin populations in Western Europe during the early Pleistocene suggests that this region was a key point in the evolutionary history of the genus Homo.' The findings were published in Nature.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Face of Overlooked Human Ancestor Could Set Record in Western Europe
Scientists have put a face, but not an official name, to the earliest human ancestor ever found in Western Europe. This newly discovered hominin is a "new actor in the story of human evolution," says excavation coordinator Rosa Huguet, from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in Spain. The partial 'portrait' of this prehistoric individual is formed from the left side of a jaw and cheekbone uncovered in 2022 at the famous archaeological complex of Atapuerca in northern Spain. After years of work, an international team of experts has dated the precious bones to between 1.1 and 1.4 million years old. When reconstructed, the remains create a narrow, flat face with fewer modern features than experts were expecting. The face doesn't look like any other human species found at this time and in this part of the world. That's partly why the individual is nicknamed Pink. In Spanish, the word for 'face' is the same as 'side,' and so researchers named the half-faced hominin in homage to Pink Floyd's iconic album, Dark Side of the Moon. The name also serves as an unofficial hat tip to a key leader of the Atapuerca excavation, Rosa (Spanish for 'pink') Huguet. Atapuerca is home to the oldest evidence of humans in Western Europe. Before Pink, the earliest remains belonged to the species Homo antecessor, which dates to between 800,000 and 1.2 million years ago and has a surprisingly similar face to that of modern humans. Even though Pink was found at a neighboring site to H. antecessor, this individual's flat features and underdeveloped nose are more reminiscent of Homo erectus – the first humans to leave Africa, use fire, and make advanced tools. The findings suggest Pink belonged to an overlooked, older species that arrived in Western Europe before H. antecessor. Both species may have overlapped in time and space, or they may have just missed each other. "The evidence is still insufficient for a definitive classification, which is why it has been assigned to Homo affinis erectus (H. aff. erectus)," explains María Martinón-Torres, director of CENIEH and a lead researcher of the Atapuerca Project. "This designation acknowledges Pink's affinities with Homo erectus while leaving open the possibility that it may belong to another species." Martinón-Torres suspects Pink's ancestors came from eastern Europe and not across the Gibraltar strait from Africa, as more archaeological evidence is scattered along the former migratory path. The earliest evidence of human activity at the "gates of Europe" dates back to around 2 million years ago, which leaves plenty of time for waves of early human migrants to make it to Western Europe by the Early Pleistocene. Previous archaeological evidence has found signs of early human tools and a single tooth in Western Europe dating to around 1.4 million years ago, however, additional human remains from this time have proved elusive. The Atapuerca complex in Spain could help us understand who these first inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula were, what they looked like, and where they lived. At the site where Pink was found, researchers also uncovered stone tools and animal remains with cut marks on them. This suggests H. affinis erectus knew how to make simple yet effective tools to exploit the wet and warm region's resources. Researchers working at the Atapuerca complex have noticed a 'chronological gap' between the site where Pink was found (called Sima del Elefante) and the neighboring spot where H. antecessor was found (called Gran Dolina). Some of the authors have argued this discontinuity represents a "depopulation" of the Iberian Peninsula, possibly because of extreme climate changes. Perhaps there was a significant decline in populations of H. affinis erectus around this time, leaving the landscape open to a new wave of early hominin migrants. Genetic research suggests there was a bottleneck in human diversity around 900,000 years ago, which also aligns with a substantial gap in African and Eurasian fossil records. With many questions left to answer, excavations of the Sima del Elefante site continue. "This discovery heralds another prodigious era for the Atapuerca Project," says José María Bermúdez de Castro, co-director of the Atapuerca Project and co-author of the study. The study was published in Nature. Ancestor of Black Death Has Been Discovered in Bronze-Age Sheep International Women's Day: Female Science Stars to Follow in 2025 Discovery of 1.5-Million-Year-Old Bone Tools Rewrites Early Human History
Reuters
12-03-2025
- Science
- Reuters
Spanish fossils may represent unknown ancient human species
March 12 (Reuters) - Scientists have unearthed in Spain fossilized facial bones roughly 1.1 million to 1.4 million years old that may represent a previously unknown species in the human evolutionary lineage - a discovery that rewrites humankind's early history in Europe. The fossils from the Sima del Elefante cave site near the city of Burgos comprise fragments spanning 80 percent of the left side of an adult individual's middle face, including parts of the cheekbone and upper jaw with the nasal structure. They are among the oldest-known human fossils from Europe. The researchers nicknamed the fossil "Pink," honoring the band Pink Floyd. Pink's facial anatomy was more primitive than that of Homo antecessor, a species known to have inhabited Western Europe roughly 850,000 years ago whose slender midface resembled modern people. Pink possessed a more projected and massive midface than Homo antecessor, and displayed some similarities to - but also differences with - Homo erectus, thought to be the first human species to have migrated out of Africa. The researchers said the fossils were not complete enough to conclude that Pink belonged to a yet-unnamed ancient human species but said this was a real possibility. They assigned the fossil the provisional name Homo affinis erectus in recognition of its affinities to certain Homo erectus traits. "These findings open a new line of research in the study of human evolution in Europe, as they introduce a new player in the early occupation of Europe," said archaeologist Rosa Huguet of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA) in Spain, lead author of the study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, opens new tab. "When we have more fossil remains, we will be able to say more about this species," Huguet said. Our species Homo sapiens did not appear until roughly 300,000 years ago in Africa, later migrating worldwide, including into Europe. Homo erectus first appeared in Africa roughly 1.9 million years ago, with body proportions similar to modern people. Homo antecessor also had modern body proportions as well as modern-looking facial anatomy. Pink's midface resembles Homo erectus with its flat and underdeveloped nasal structure, unlike the prominent nasal bone structure of Homo antecessor and Homo sapiens. "Homo antecessor has a modern-like midface, very similar to that of Homo sapiens. In contrast, the midface found at the Sima del Elefante site has a combination of features shared with Homo erectus and others that are derived and not present in Homo erectus," said paleoanthropologist and study senior author José María Bermúdez de Castro Risueño, co-director of the Atapuerca Project focused on human evolution. Little is known about Europe's earliest human residents. There are fossils commonly attributed to Homo erectus dating to 1.8 million years ago at a Caucasus site in Georgia called Dmanisi on the fringes of Europe. There also are stone tools dating to 1.4 million years ago from western Ukraine, and bones with cut marks, suggesting the use of stone tools to butcher animal carcasses, dating to 1.95 million years ago from Romania. At the Sima del Elefante site, researchers previously recovered a jawbone fragment estimated at 1.2 million years old, though the species was undetermined. The Pink fossils found in 2022 were recovered in a deeper - thus older - layer at the same site. A child's molar dating to approximately the same time is known from a site near Granada in Spain, with the species also unclear. "There are very few sites with human fossils corresponding to the first settlers of Europe," said archaeologist and study co-author Xosé Pedro Rodríguez-Álvarez of the University of Rovira I Virgili in Spain. Pink is older than any known Homo antecessor remains. And Pink's species, according to the researchers, may belong to a population that reached Europe during a migration predating that of Homo antecessor. "We do not know if they could have coexisted for a short period of time or if they never lived together," Huguet said. Discovered nearby Pink were simple quartz and flint tools and animal bones with cut marks indicating butchery. The researchers have not been able to reconstruct Pink's full face because of the incompleteness of the fossils. Diligent work was needed to assemble the fragments to reveal the midface, combining traditional conservation and restoration methods with sophisticated imaging and 3D analysis. Pink's gender remains unclear. "There are many questions to be answered, and this find helps to write a new page in the history of human evolution," Bermúdez de Castro said.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
These Ancient Warriors Ate the Brains of Their Enemies, Study Finds
A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports indicates that ancient warriors ate the brains of their enemies. The particularly gruesome form of celebration was a common occurrence for the Madelenians, who reportedly consumed the brains of their enemies after battle in order to celebrate the death of their foes. Though it's long been thought that pre-historic European cultures dabbled in cannibalism, the notion wasn't confirmed until recently (via Popular Mechanics) when a team of researchers extracted and analyzed skulls and other human remains from Poland's Maszycka Cave. According to the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution, more than 68 percent of the 63 bones analyzed contained manipulation 'related to human consumption, such as the removal of muscle bundles, brain, and marrow.' Cranial and mandibular fragments, in particular, 'exhibited modifications related to scalping, defleshing and disarticulation.''The location and frequency of cut marks and intentional fracturing on the skeleton is clear evidence of nutritional exploitation of the bodies, ruling out the hypothesis of funerary treatment without consumption,' explained Francesc Marginedas, head of the Catalan Institute and a researcher there. The study noted that 'the butchering process took place shortly after death with no period reserved for the bodies to decompose or dry.' The deceased were 'intensively manipulated' to extract all possible fluids and make best use of the cadaver's 'caloric contribution.' Researchers believe the cannibalistic practice may have begun due to scarce food resources after the Ice Age, but they say it may also have had a ritualistic purpose. 'Cannibalism is a behavior documented at various times in human evolution,' said the study's co-author, Palmira Saladie, a Catalan Institute researcher. 'In prehistoric contexts, it could respond both to survival needs and to ritual practices or even to dynamics of intergroup violence.'
