A fossil discovery suggests modern humans left Africa much earlier than previously thought
In short: Researchers examining a fossilized jaw fragment found at Mount Carmel, Israel, have found evidence that modern humans may have migrated out of Africa more than 55,000 years earlier than previous estimates. The fossil, which includes nearly a full set of teeth, appears to date back at least 177,000 years.
The discovery of this left hemimaxilla, found alongside stone tools and animal remains, challenges the long-held timeline of 120,000 years ago for the first migrations. While the dating of the site and fossil provides a significant new date, the findings are based on the analysis of this specific fossil and its surrounding sediments.
The study relied on analyzing human remains and dating the sedimentary layers at the Mount Carmel site.
Why it matters: New fossil evidence pushes back the known timeline of human migration out of Africa by over 55,000 years.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Hershkovitz et al. (2018). The earliest modern humans outside Africa. Science.
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