A skull of 1.8 million years reopens the debate on the ... - The Mundo.es

have 1.8 million old and are the oldest hominid remains found outside Africa. This is a skull and jaw in excellent condition have been unearthed in the rich deposit of Dmanisi, Georgia . A spectacular find was made in 2000 (the jaw) and in 2005 (the skull) and now published all the details in the journal Science. This is the fifth skull found in Dmanisi.

The discovery of this fossil (called D4500 or skull 5) has reopened the old debate on the classification of the genus Homo , to which we belong.

Until now, the oldest hominid remains outside Africa were found in Indonesia (1.7 million years old), while in Europe the earliest hominid remains are in the Sima del Elefante in Atapuerca and have 1 , 3 million years.

Controversial proposal

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Recreation

individual. | JHMatternes

individual had a small brain (546 cubic inches, or about 600 grams), with a size equivalent to less than half of that we have the ‘Homo sapiens’ (of around 1400). His face was long and big teeth. Scientists of this research, with David Lordkipanidze front stress that this individual shares morphological features with early Homo fossils found in Africa, and that are older than 2.4 billion years.

Paleontologists made a provocative proposal: that the earliest fossils of Homo (those that have traditionally been classified as Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis’ or ‘Homo erectus’) to pass to be considered members of a single species. Although they admit that they have different physical characteristics, believe that the variation is not as pronounced as for considering belong to different storylines.

is, propose include under the definition of ‘Homo erectus fossils found in Africa 2.4 million years ago as well as in Asia and subsequently unearthed Europahace between 1.7 and 1.2 million years.

A strategic

The site of Dmanisi is located in a strategic location at the crossroads of three continents: Africa, Asia and Europe. “It’s an extraordinary site, both the concentration of hominids and fauna and its ancient , 1.8 million years. found thousands of stone tools and a lot of fossils of> deer, horses, rhinos and elephants “, lists by phone from Georgia Jordi Agusti, ICREA researcher at the Catalan Institute of Human Palaeoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES).

Agustí is a paleontologist

usual in Dmanisi, where he goes every summer to participate in the excavations.

“The Skull condition 5 is extraordinary . I think it probably is the best preserved of the human record,” said Agusti. Also, remember that in this field also found other hominid skeletal remains of a large adult who believe they are the same individual.