A newly dated set of hominin fossils from a cave in Casablanca, Morocco, may help close a long-standing gap in the story of human evolution. Researchers say the remains are about 773,000 years old, placing them in a crucial period when African and Eurasian human lineages were beginning to diverge. The fossils include adult and child jawbones, teeth, and vertebrae, and show a blend of primitive and modern traits similar to Homo antecessor found in Spain. Precisely dated using Earth’s magnetic field reversals, the discovery strengthens evidence for the deep African roots of Homo sapiens and suggests early humans moved across the Mediterranean far earlier than once believed.
New York Times
