Oldest Human Fossil From Outside Africa Rewrites Species' History

NEW YORK, NY — The curved, toothy jaw fragment may not seem like much to look at, but a new analysis shows it early humans left Africa at least 50,000 years before previously thought.

The fossil, discovered in the Mislya Cave in Israel, is roughly 175,000 years old, according to a recent analysis. That makes it the oldest human fossil discovered outside of Africa, where the species' earliest ancestors first developed.

Rolf Quam, a Binghamton University anthropology professor and coauthor of the study published in the journal Science, called the fossil "an exciting discovery." The study was led by Israel Hershkovitz of Tel Aviv University.

"It provides the clearest evidence yet that our ancestors first migrated out of Africa much earlier than we previously believed," Quam said. "It also means that modern humans were potentially meeting and interacting during a longer period of time with other archaic human groups, providing more opportunity for cultural and biological exchanges."

The researchers placed the fragment under microCT scans and created 3-D models of it. They were able to compare its features with other fossils found in Africa, Europe and Asia.

Previously, the oldest human fossils found outside of Africa were estimated at between 90,000 to 120,000 years old.

Other studies, relying on analysis of DNA, have suggested that human tribes might have left the continent at an earlier date, perhaps as long as 220,000 years ago. Other fossil discoveries in Asia suggest an earlier date for modern human's arrival outside Africa, the researchers said.

Homo Sapiens are characterized by certain skeletal features, including "a globular braincase, brow ridges that are divided into central and side portions, a flat and retracted midface, a chin on the lower jaw, and a narrow pelvis," the study noted.

"While all of the anatomical details in the Misliya fossil are fully consistent with modern humans, some features are also found in Neandertals and other human groups," said Quam. "One of the challenges in this study was identifying features in Misliya that are found only in modern humans. These are the features that provide the clearest signal of what species the Misliya fossil represents."

In the Misliya Cave itself, researchers found evidence that the humans were able hunters of large prey. It also appears they were able to create controlled fires with methods similar to those found with early human fossils in Africa.

Photo Credit: Rolf Quam