US EditionEarly Human Ancestor Found in Morocco Dates Back 700,000 Years May Be Major Missing Link
Fossils may represent the last common ancestor of modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans, supporting a deep African origin for hominins, researchers say.
- At Thomas Quarry near Casablanca, a team of Moroccan and French researchers recovered jawbones, teeth, vertebrae, and a femur with predator tooth marks, dating the assemblage using geomagnetic methods that may represent the last common ancestor of modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans.
- Longstanding gaps in the fossil record left a large time gap between Homo erectus and later hominins, complicating consensus about the common ancestor and lineage branching.
- Morphological comparisons show the Moroccan fossils display Homo erectus-like features but remain distinct from both Homo erectus and Homo antecessor in key traits.
- Dr. Jean-Jacques Hublin said the finds reinforce a deep African origin for Homo sapiens and added that classification needs further analysis by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and other teams.
- Additional analysis will compare the Grotte à Hominidés population with Jebel Irhoud to clarify descendant links, while a femur showing predator tooth marks remains an unusual detail Hublin declined to detail.
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When did the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens and Neanderthals live – and where? The question is controversial among scientists. Now new fossil finds from Morocco bring light into the dark.
Possible Evolutionary “Missing Link” from North Africa Identified - Archaeology Magazine
Mandible during excavation in Thomas Quarry, Morocco CASABLANCA, MOROCCO—A team of Moroccan and French researchers suggests that they have identified the remains of the last common ancestor of modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans, according to a Live Science report. The 773,000-year-old fossils, including three partial lower jaws, several vertebrae, and teeth, were discovered in a cave in Morocco’s Thomas Quarry. They have some characteri…
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Pop NewsEarly Human Ancestor Found in Morocco Dates Back 700,000 Years May Be Major Missing Link
Remains of an early human ancestor from a critically important period in our evolutionary history have been found in Morocco. Dated back 700,000 years using precise geo-magnetic methods, the assemblage of jawbones and teeth may come from the epoch during which African and Eurasian hominins diverged from their common ancestor. The discovery was found in […] The post Early Human Ancestor Found in Morocco Dates Back 700,000 Years May Be Major Missi…
"These hominid populations have participated, together with other African populations, in the emergence of Homo Sapiens," says David Lefèvre, a Montpellieran geologist from an international team who has just published these results in Nature magazine after 30 years of research. Cet article Sciences : Nos possibles anciens communs, des... Marocaines d ́aque 773 000 ans est apparu en premier sur Dis-leurs !.
Analyses provide evidence of the African origin of our species
Jaws of two adults and a child, teeth and a thigh bone with bite marks were found in a quarry in Casablanca - a find that supports the theory that the roots of modern humans are in Africa
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