Ancient jawbone could give glimpse of Europe’s earliest humans
22:26 JST, August 3, 2022
MADRID (Reuters) — Archaeologists in Spain said July 8 they had dug up an ancient jawbone that could help them look into the face of some of the earliest human ancestors in Europe.
The surprise find, which could be about 1.4 million years old, could also give vital clues to the evolution of the human face over the millennia, the team from the Atapuerca Foundation said.
“The first week of July 2022 will enter the history of human evolution,” the team added in a statement.
The fossilized fragment of an upper jaw and cheekbone was found near caves in the Atapuerca Mountains in northern Spain’s Burgos Province, the site of other ancient remains.
The scientists said they were still working on identifying the specific kind of human ancestor and determining the bone’s age.
“We have to continue our research for about at least a year … This takes lots of time,” Jose Maria Bermudez de Castro, one of the team’s coordinators, told journalists.
“What we can say is that we have found a fossil that’s very important and interesting that belongs to one of the first populations that arrived in Europe.”
"Science & Nature" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Yellow Sand Observed in Tokyo, Osaka, Many Other Parts of Japan
-
Solar Panels Around Southern Japan’s Mt. Aso Stoke Fears Over Landscape; Local Govt Scrambles to Preserve Nature
-
Govt, U.S. Sign Deal to Send 2 Japanese Astronauts to the Moon; Toyota to Contribute to Artemis Program with Lunar Cruiser
-
Studying Dinosaurs for Humanity’s Future
-
Jellyfish Invade Venezuelan Waters, Worrying Fishermen
JN ACCESS RANKING
- M6.0 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Tohoku Region; Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi Prefectures Observe 4 on Japanese Scale With No Risk of Tsunami
- Cherry Blossoms Draw Crowd to Tokyo’s Ueno Park; Viewing Season Kicks Off to Slow Start
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- Whaling Mother Ship Built in Japan for 1st Time in 73 Years