“We are a migratory species, born to explore and to traverse the earth. Each wave of migration has left a lasting impact on the world, shaping languages, traditions, and the very landscapes we inhabit.”
— David Attenborough
Time marches on—backwards, at least when examining the timeline of human evolution and migration. Recent findings suggest that the oldest human fossils discovered outside Africa indicate our species may have left the continent around 200,000 years ago.
🗄️From the archive: Oldest Human Fossils Outside Africa Push Back Our Timeline…Again https://t.co/xIKwfHoTqZ https://t.co/xIKwfHoTqZ
— Discover Magazine (@DiscoverMag) August 5, 2024
In 2017, a major shift in our understanding of human evolution occurred. New archaeological and genetic evidence revealed that Homo sapiens evolved much earlier and left Africa sooner than previously thought. Just a month after paleoanthropologists called for a revision of the human migration timeline, a remarkable discovery in Israel has pushed the revised date even further back.
Last year, fossils from Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, dated to 300,000 years ago, showed that Homo sapiens emerged much earlier than the conventional estimate of 200,000 years. This, along with other finds in Ethiopia at Herto and Omo Kibish, overturned the previous belief about the timeline of our species’ emergence. Despite these findings, there is still debate among scientists about when anatomically modern humans first migrated out of Africa. Traditionally, this exodus was thought to have occurred between 40,000 and 60,000 years ago.
Support for this traditional timeline has been challenged by fossil discoveries in Israel, China, and Australia. Fossils and artifacts from these regions indicate that modern humans may have been present in Israel up to 115,000 years ago, in East Asia between 80,000 and 120,000 years ago, and in Australia around 65,000 years ago.
The latest addition to this growing body of evidence is a partial jawbone discovered in Misliya Cave, Israel. This fossil, known as Misliya-1, is estimated to be between 177,000 and 194,000 years old. This finding not only makes Misliya-1 the oldest human fossil found outside Africa but also contemporaneous with the fossils from Herto and Omo Kibish. Unlike the more primitive traits seen in older fossils like those from Jebel Irhoud, the features of Misliya-1 are consistent with anatomically modern humans.
In addition to the jawbone, stone tools found with Misliya-1 belong to the Levallois technology, a sophisticated tool-making method requiring pre-shaping of a stone core. This technique allows for more precise tools and has been found in various locations, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. The uniformity of Levallois tools suggests a shared knowledge or teaching method among prehistoric toolmakers.
The complex network patterns of human migration at different geographical scales: network science meets regression analysis https://t.co/l0M7oYdX2K pic.twitter.com/v7utujYgcP
— Jim Russell (@ProducerCities) August 10, 2024
The Misliya Cave site also holds evidence of Levallois tools dating back to between 190,000 and 260,000 years ago. Similar tools were found at Jebel Irhoud, indicating a widespread use of this technology across different regions and time periods.
Although the Misliya-1 fossil is less than 200,000 years old, making it the oldest human fossil found outside Africa, there is ongoing debate about which Homo species should be classified as “human.” In general usage, “human” refers to anatomically modern Homo sapiens, the species to which we belong.
Quotes
- “The story of migration is the story of the human race from its origins to the present day, a tale of endurance, resilience, and the unyielding drive to move forward, to cross the next frontier.”
— Isabel Wilkerson - “The history of humanity is, in essence, a history of migration. From the earliest nomadic tribes to modern diasporas, humans have always moved in search of better opportunities, driven by necessity, curiosity, and survival.”
— Unknown - “Migration is as old as humanity itself. It is the most natural expression of the human spirit: to seek new horizons, to adapt, to survive.”
— Ban Ki-moon - “Human migration is a force of nature, as integral to the story of our species as the air we breathe. It has shaped societies, cultures, and civilizations, continuously redefining the boundaries of the human experience.”
Key Points:
i. New findings suggest that Homo sapiens may have left Africa around 200,000 years ago, challenging previous timelines of human migration.
ii. Discoveries in Morocco, Ethiopia, and other locations have pushed back the known timeline of human evolution and migration.
iii. A partial jawbone from Misliya Cave in Israel, dated to 177,000 to 194,000 years ago, is the oldest human fossil found outside Africa and shows features of anatomically modern humans.
iv. The fossil was found with Levallois tools, a sophisticated method of tool-making used across various regions and time periods.
v. The debate continues over the classification of “human,” with Misliya-1 contributing to our understanding of early human migration and technology.
James Kravitz – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
