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Metro
26-05-2025
- Science
- Metro
Mystery of ancient land could have been solved by 140,000-year-old human skull
A prehistoric human skull and fossils found in the sea could reveal the secrets of an ancient lost land teeming with venomous Komodo dragons. The fragments of Homo erectus 's skull were discovered buried in a since-disappeared land in Indonesia. The bone pieces were found by accident among thousands of animal fossils when tonnes of sand and stones were dredged up off the seafloor of the Madura Strait between Java and Madura island. Marks found on the fossils suggest that the Homo erectus might have used a hunting strategy copied from its more modern human relatives, signalling a further overlap and interaction between the two human species. The Homo erectus skull was buried 140,000 years ago, and it could be the first evidence of the prehistoric landmass known as Sundaland, Live Science reports. The bombshell discovery, published last week in the Quaternary Environments and Human journal, reveals how a previously unknown Homo erectus population may have interacted with more humans across the strip of land, which connected the islands. The fossil markings suggest that the Homo erectus in the area were targeting a prehistoric, cow-like animal in a way the species isn't usually known for, suggesting the strategy was copied from humans on the Asia mainland. The findings suggest that early humans lived side-by-side with the Komodo dragons, which have a poisonous bite and are capable of killing large mammals. Harold Berghuis, the lead author of the study at the University of Leiden, Netherlands, told Live Science: 'The Madura Strait hominins may have developed this hunting strategy independently. 'But the other possibility is that we are looking at a kind of cultural exchange.' After sifting through the debris, the researchers found more than 6,000 animal fossils – the first time fossils have been found from the submerged Sundaland. The area used to look very different when human ancestors walked and hunted in the area during the last Ice Age. Sundaland was the home to elephants, the elephant-like extinct Stegodon and water buffalo, while its rivers were teeming with fish, turtles, river sharks and hippos, the fossils show. The researchers identified 36 different species among the over 6,000 fossils, including Komodo dragons, which could have been 'the most important predators' in Sundaland, Berghuis said. But the pre-historic human remains could have been lost forever when a massive construction project started in the strait to create an artificial island. Diggers pulled up around 177 million cubic feet of sand and sandstones near Surabaya between 2014 and 2015, which was then used the create the island. Berghuis then spent weeks on his hands and knees searching for any human-linked fossils. He finally hit the jackpot on his last day at the site. He said: 'It was already getting dark and I sat down to enjoy [the] sunset. More Trending 'And then, right beside me, lay this fossil that reminded me so much of the only Dutch Neanderthal. This is a well-known fossil in my country, dredged from the North Sea.' The human predecessor was the first to develop a humanlike body and leave the African continent for Asia and Europe during its 2 million-year existence. As its name suggests, Homo erectus walked upright, although the teeth were larger and the brain smaller than in modern humans. Homo erectus is thought to be the first human species to have used fire around 1 million years ago. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Scientists discover 1,40,000-year-old human bone fossils under the sea
Southeast Asia has always been considered a crucial crossroads for early humans, giving out clues for the existence of early humans, and this time ancient fossils from the early humans have been found beneath the ocean floor. As sea levels rose following the last ice age, huge regions that were once rich with life and human activity got submerged, hiding secrets that modern science is now beginning to find out. These lost lands used to be a part of what is called 'Sundaland' by the researchers. Recently discovered fossils have found bones from an unknown group of Homo erectus, an extinct human ancestor, inhabiting these now-submerged areas. The discovery tells about how early humans lived, hunted, and possibly interacted with more modern human relatives in this biodiverse region. Fossils have been discovered beneath the ocean Bones from Homo erectus have been recovered from the seafloor near the Indonesian island of Java, revealing a previously unknown population of this ancient human ancestor. The fossils were found during a construction project that dredged millions of cubic meters of sediment from the Madura Strait, a body of water separating Java from the smaller island of Madura. This area was once part of Sundaland, a vast expanse of fertile plains and rivers that existed during periods of lower sea levels around 140,000 years ago. Research on these fossils have found that the submerged lands also supported varied forms of ecosystems, includoing with fish, turtles, river sharks, hippos, and large terrestrial animals such as elephants and the now-extinct Stegodon. The discovery of Homo erectus fossils in this region confirms that these early humans survived in such rich environments, using the natural resources available. Fossils also provide evidence of early hunting strategies Researchers found cut marks on some animal fossils, indicating that the Madura Strait hominids hunted turtles and large bovids. Interestingly, this is also the first evidence of turtle hunting in Southeast Asia. The selective hunting of cow-like animals means well organised strategy that could possibly be commonly associated with modern humans on the Asian mainland. As reported by Live Science, 'The Madura Strait hominins may have developed this hunting strategy independently,' said Harold Berghuis, lead author and researcher at Leiden University. 'But the other possibility is that we are looking at a kind of cultural exchange. ' This also leads to the possibility that the early Homo erectus populations were not isolated but may have learned from or interacted with other human relatives in the region. What do the fossils include? The fossils recovered include over 6,000 animal remains from 36 species, ranging from Komodo dragons to hippos. Komodo dragons, now endangered and limited to a few Indonesian islands, might once have been the dominant predators of Sundaland's open plains. 'Komodo dragons may have been the most important predators,' Berghuis said. Berghuis, working as a geotechnical consultant, spent weeks searching through the sediment and was surprised to find the first Homo erectus skull fragment on his final day. Comparing it to the famous Dutch Neanderthal fossil, he recognized distinctive features confirming its significance. Who are the Homo Erectus? Homo erectus, emerging over 2 million years ago, was the first human species to migrate out of Africa and establish populations across Asia, including Java. They survived on the island until 117,000 to 108,000 years ago. Later, more modern humans, including Denisovans and Neanderthals, replaced or coexisted with H. erectus on the mainland.
Scottish Sun
22-05-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
A 140,000-year-old mysterious human ancestor bone found in LOST land where no one can visit
Lost lands, called Sundaland, were once vast open plains with flowing rivers around 140,000 years ago BARE BONES A 140,000-year-old mysterious human ancestor bone found in LOST land where no one can visit Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE bones of a long-extinct human ancestor have been dredged up from the seafloor, just off the coast of what is now known as Indonesia. The discovery reveals a previously unknown Homo erectus population in Southeast Asia who occupied land before it became an ocean. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 During the last Ice Age, sea levels were much lower than they are today Credit: Harold Berghuis 4 There were areas of the Earth that were not only habitable but occupied by our ancient ancestors, before they were lost to the sea Credit: Harold Berghuis 4 A cache of bones was pulled from the seafloor as part of a construction project off the island of Java and another smaller island called Madura. Researchers, who published four separate studies on their findings, say it is the first time fossils have been found in the submerged areas of the Indonesian archipelago. During the last Ice Age, sea levels were much lower than they are today. Mountainous glaciers and vast, icy tundras stored water that eventually fed into the ocean over the course of several millennia. There were areas of the Earth that were not only habitable but occupied by our ancient ancestors, before they were lost to the sea. These lost lands, called Sundaland, were once vast open plains with flowing rivers around 140,000 years ago. The newly discovered Homo erectus bones were found among a bounty of more than 6,000 animal fossils. Fossil remains have revealed the rivers of Sundaland would have been fertile hunting grounds for the Homo erectus. The rivers were teeming with fish, turtles, river sharks, hippos and other marine life, according to the new fossils. Lost world of 'Britain's ATLANTIS' Doggerland revealed – as artefacts from sunken nation appear after 10,000 years While land-walking giants such as elephants, the elephant-like Stegodon and water buffalo also populated the plains, according to the studies, published in the journal Quaternary Environments and Human. There was once a valley between Java and Madura, which is now a body of seawater called the Madura Strait. Cut marks found on some of the fossils suggest our ancient ancestors once hunted turtles on the land beneath the Madura Strait - which is the earliest evidence of this, according to researchers. Although larger game was also on the table. These hominins were targeting cow-like bovids in their prime, according to researchers, which the Indonesian Homo erectus isn't known for. The different hunting strategy is associated with more modern humans on the Asian mainland, suggesting the Homo erectus may have interacted with more modern humans. "The Madura Strait hominins may have developed this hunting strategy independently," study lead author Harold Berghuis, a researcher studying Homo erectus at Leiden University in the Netherlands, told Live Science. "But the other possibility is that we are looking at a kind of cultural exchange."
The Irish Sun
22-05-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
A 140,000-year-old mysterious human ancestor bone found in LOST land where no one can visit
THE bones of a long-extinct human ancestor have been dredged up from the seafloor, just off the coast of what is now known as Indonesia. The discovery reveals a previously unknown Homo erectus population in 4 During the last Ice Age, sea levels were much lower than they are today Credit: Harold Berghuis 4 There were areas of the Earth that were not only habitable but occupied by our ancient ancestors, before they were lost to the sea Credit: Harold Berghuis 4 A cache of bones was pulled from the seafloor as part of a construction project off the island of Java and another smaller island called Madura. Researchers, who published four separate studies on their findings, say it is the first time fossils have been found in the submerged areas of the Indonesian archipelago. During the last Mountainous glaciers and vast, icy tundras stored water that eventually fed into the ocean over the course of several millennia. READ MORE ON ARCHAEOLOGY There were areas of the Earth that were not only habitable but occupied by our ancient ancestors, before they were lost to the sea. These lost lands, called Sundaland, were once vast open plains with flowing rivers around 140,000 years ago. The newly discovered Homo erectus bones were found among a bounty of more than 6,000 animal fossils. Fossil remains have revealed the rivers of Sundaland would have been fertile hunting grounds for the Homo erectus. Most read in Science The rivers were teeming with fish, turtles, river sharks, hippos and other marine life, according to the new fossils. Lost world of 'Britain's ATLANTIS' Doggerland revealed – as artefacts from sunken nation appear after 10,000 years While land-walking giants such as elephants, the elephant-like Stegodon and water buffalo also populated the plains, according to the studies, published in the journal . There was once a valley between Java and Madura, which is now a body of seawater called the Madura Strait. Cut marks found on some of the fossils suggest our ancient ancestors once hunted turtles on the land beneath the Madura Strait - which is the earliest evidence of this, according to researchers. Although larger game was also on the table. These hominins were targeting cow-like bovids in their prime, according to researchers, which the Indonesian Homo erectus isn't known for. The different hunting strategy is associated with more modern humans on the Asian mainland, suggesting the Homo erectus may have interacted with more modern humans. "The Madura Strait hominins may have developed this hunting strategy independently," study lead author Harold Berghuis, a researcher studying Homo erectus at Leiden University in the Netherlands, told "But the other possibility is that we are looking at a kind of cultural exchange." 4 Sunrise at Mount Bromo in Java island, Indonesia Credit: Getty - Contributor
