Scientists have unearthed in Spain fossilised facial bones roughly 1.1 million to 1.4 million years outdated that may represent a beforehand unknown species within the human evolutionary lineage – a discovery that rewrites humankind’s early historical past in Europe.
The fossils from the Sima del Elefante cave web site close to town of Burgos comprise fragments spanning 80% of the left facet of an grownup particular person’s center face, together with elements of the cheekbone and higher jaw with the nasal construction. They are among the many oldest-known human fossils from Europe.
The researchers nicknamed the fossil “Pink,” honoring the band Pink Floyd.
Pink’s facial anatomy was extra primitive than that of Homo antecessor, a species recognized to have inhabited Western Europe roughly 850,000 years in the past whose slender midface resembled trendy individuals. Pink possessed a extra projected and large midface than Homo antecessor, and displayed some similarities to – but in addition variations with – Homo erectus, regarded as the primary human species to have migrated out of Africa.
The researchers mentioned the fossils weren’t full sufficient to conclude that Pink belonged to a yet-unnamed ancient human species however mentioned this was an actual risk. They assigned the fossil the provisional title Homo affinis erectus in recognition of its affinities to sure 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,” mentioned archaeologist Rosa Huguet of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA) in Spain, lead writer of the research printed on Wednesday within the journal Nature.
“When we have more fossil remains, we will be able to say more about this species,” Huguet mentioned.
Our species Homo sapiens didn’t seem till roughly 300,000 years in the past in Africa, later migrating worldwide, together with into Europe. Homo erectus first appeared in Africa roughly 1.9 million years in the past, with physique proportions just like trendy individuals. Homo antecessor additionally had trendy physique proportions in addition to modern-looking facial anatomy.
Pink’s midface resembles Homo erectus with its flat and underdeveloped nasal construction, in contrast to the distinguished nasal bone construction 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,” mentioned paleoanthropologist and research senior writer José María Bermúdez de Castro Risueño, co-director of the Atapuerca Project centered on human evolution.
Little is thought about Europe’s earliest human residents. There are fossils generally attributed to Homo erectus courting to 1.8 million years in the past at a Caucasus web site in Georgia referred to as Dmanisi on the fringes of Europe. There are also stone instruments courting to 1.4 million years in the past from western Ukraine, and bones with minimize marks, suggesting using stone instruments to butcher animal carcasses, courting to 1.95 million years in the past from Romania.
At the Sima del Elefante web site, researchers beforehand recovered a jawbone fragment estimated at 1.2 million years outdated, although the species was undetermined. The Pink fossils present in 2022 had been recovered in a deeper – thus older – layer on the identical web site. A toddler’s molar courting to roughly the identical time is thought from a web site close to Granada in Spain, with the species additionally unclear.
“There are very few sites with human fossils corresponding to the first settlers of Europe,” mentioned archaeologist and research co-author Xosé Pedro Rodríguez-Álvarez of the University of Rovira I Virgili in Spain.
Pink is older than any recognized Homo antecessor stays. And Pink’s species, based on the researchers, may belong to a inhabitants that reached Europe throughout 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 mentioned.
Discovered close by Pink had been easy quartz and flint instruments and animal bones with minimize marks indicating butchery.
The researchers haven’t been capable of reconstruct Pink’s full face due to the incompleteness of the fossils. Diligent work was wanted to assemble the fragments to disclose the midface, combining conventional conservation and restoration strategies with subtle imaging and 3D evaluation. Pink’s gender stays 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 mentioned.
Published – March 13, 2025 11:55 am IST
