Oldest human face in Western Europe

Scientists in Spain have discovered facial bones from a hominin dating to between 1.1 and 1.4 million years ago that represents the earliest human face identified in Western Europe to date

400km
250 miles
SPAIN
EUROPE

Fossil, dubbed ATE7-1: Found at Sima del Elefante archaeological site, Atapuerca, Spain

Georgia: Fossils found at Dmanisi site suggest Eurasia was settled after first expansion of hominins out of Africa, at least 1.8 million years ago

ATE7-1: Fragments reconstructed using physical evidence and 3D imaging techniques

Molar

2.5cm
1 inch

ATE7-1 does not belong to Homo antecessor – species identified in neighbouring site and estimated to be around 860,000 years old – but to more primitive hominin resembling Homo erectus

ATE7-1 belongs to population that arrived in Europe during migration wave predating that of H. antecessor, confirming that Western Europe was inhabited by at least two different species of hominins during Early Pleistocene

Superimposition of virtual reconstruction of ATE7-1 with Dmanisi D4500 cranium, believed to be specimen of H. erectus adult male found at Dmanisi site

Millions of years ago
2
1
0

PLEISTOCENE
PLIOCENE
HOLOCENE

H. antecessor
H. erectus
H. sapiens

HUMAN EVOLUTION

Sources and pictures: Nature, Catalan Institute for Human Palaeoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES)
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