The new discovery could refute the General scientific consensus that mankind evolved in a single “cradle of humanity” in East Africa about 200,000 years ago.
The study of the fossils of five ancient human ancestors have shown that Homo sapiens originated at least 100,000 years earlier than previously thought. This suggests that our species evolved throughout the African continent, not in one part, referred to as the “garden of Eden”.
“We believe that humankind arose somewhere in a particular place in Africa. It was a gradual development and spread, covering the entire continent. If it was the garden of Eden, the area of Africa,” says Professor Jean-Jacques Hublin of the max Planck Institute, noting that soon they would have to rewrite the textbooks.
The samples found in the Parking lot of Jebel Irhoud in Morocco, included skulls, teeth and bones. Earlier finds made in 1960-ies in the same region, have been dated to 40 000 years and were ascribed to the African Neanderthal, a close evolutionary relative of Homo sapiens.
However, Professor Hublin decided to “dig deeper” and again analyzed the fossils obtained during the excavations. It turned out that previous researchers have erred in the Dating of nearly 270 000 years. The skull, teeth and bones from Morocco was from 300 000 to 350 000 years.
The shape of the skull is almost identical to the shape of the skull of modern humans. There are several minor differences like a more prominent eyebrows and reduced the skull. However, the ancient people from North Africa, as shown by excavations, used stone tools and were able to produce and control fire.
Until now, the earliest fossils of our ancient ancestors came mostly from Ethiopia (OMO Park-Kibish) and dated to about 195 000 years. Now, I’m sure Professor Hublin, science will have to change the vision of what appeared the first modern humans.
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