US EditionFossils unearthed in Morocco are first from little-understood period of human evolution
Fossils from Casablanca reveal a blend of archaic and modern traits, supporting an African origin for Homo sapiens and suggesting early population links with Europe, researchers said.
- 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.
135 Articles
135 Articles
Fossilized remains have been discovered on the northwestern outskirts of Casablanca, Morocco, that could fundamentally change our understanding of our origins. The set of remains, some 773,000 years old, fills one of the largest gaps in the fossil record of human evolution and offers a rare glimpse into a population close to the roots of the lineage leading to the species Homo sapiens.
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…
Archaeological sensation in Morocco: 773,000-year-old finds may rewrite the history of human evolution
The Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication announces that an international research team led first by Fatima-Zohra Sbihi Alaoui and currently by Abderrahim Mohib associate researcher at the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage Sciences, Morocco (INSAP, Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, Jean-Paul Raynal, Camille Daujeard, Rosalia Galloti and David Lefèvre from University of Bordeaux / CNRS, Université de Montpellier Pa…
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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…
Fossils Discovered in Morocco Could Reveal Humanity's True Origins
A new study published in Nature reinforces the idea that Homo sapiens originated in Africa. This is based on a set of fossils unearthed in a Moroccan cave that date to 773,000 years ago, just around the time when our evolutionary family tree split into what would become Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Denisovans. The cave itself, known as Grotte à Hominidés, is located in Casablanca. It looks like it was more of a hangout for predators than a pl…
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