Archaeologists in Spain have uncovered fossilized bone fragments believed to be the oldest known human remains in Western Europe.
The discovery, made at the Sima del Elefante cave in the Atapuerca Mountains, consists of a partial skull, including the left cheekbone and upper jaw, belonging to an early human ancestor who lived between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years ago.
The newly discovered remains provide evidence of an early human population in the region during the Early Pleistocene epoch. The find suggests that multiple human species may have coexisted in Western Europe at different times.
“This paper introduces a new actor in the story of human evolution in Europe,” said Dr. Rosa Huguet, a researcher at the University of Rovira i Virgili in Catalonia.
Previous fossil discoveries in Europe, including remains found in Georgia dating back 1.8 million years, have been attributed to Homo erectus, the first human species to leave Africa. However, the new Spanish fossils appear to share characteristics with Homo erectus while also displaying unique anatomical features, leading researchers to tentatively classify them as Homo affinis erectus, meaning “closely related to Homo erectus.”
While the facial structure of the new fossil differs from Homo antecessor, a species found at the nearby Gran Dolina site and dated to 800,000 years ago, it bears similarities to Homo erectus, particularly in the way the face projects forward. Researchers believe further fossil discoveries will be needed to clarify the species’ precise identity.
The fossil has been informally nicknamed “Pink” by the research team, after the rock band Pink Floyd. The name was inspired by their album The Dark Side of the Moon, as “cara oculta” in Spanish means “hidden face,” referencing both the album and the incomplete nature of the fossil.
Excavations at Sima del Elefante have revealed much about the environment early humans inhabited. More than a million years ago, the region was characterized by dense forests and open grasslands, home to a variety of wildlife, including bison, deer, and hippos. Stone tools and butchered animal bones found alongside the human remains suggest that these early inhabitants engaged in tool-making and hunting.
A particularly intriguing detail is a groove on one of the fossilized teeth, possibly caused by the use of a rudimentary toothpick—a small but telling clue about the daily habits of these early humans.
The discovery at Sima del Elefante adds a new layer to the understanding of human migration and evolution in Europe. Some researchers believe early human populations may have arrived in Western Europe in waves, possibly retreating during periods of extreme climate change.
Chris Stringer, a research leader at the Natural History Museum in London, described the find as “a very important discovery” but noted that the fossil’s incompleteness makes it difficult to assign it definitively to a known species.
The Guardian, CNN, and FOX News contributed to this report.
