New findings have shed light on the earliest European hominids

New geological findings in the Orce region of Spain have shed light on the arrival of the first hominids in Europe from Africa. These findings suggest that the first hominids reached Europe approximately 1.3 million years ago, making the discovered human remains in Orce the oldest in Europe. This discovery reinforces the hypothesis that early humans migrated to Europe through the Strait of Gibraltar, rather than through the Asian route. The study, led by Lluís Gibert from the University of Barcelona's Faculty of Earth Sciences, involved researchers from the Berkeley Geochronology Centre and Murray State University in the United States.

The dating was based on the analysis of paleomagnetism in a previously unsampled area of the Orce region. By studying changes in the Earth's magnetic field recorded in minerals, the researchers identified a magnetic polarity sequence that allowed them to date the three Orce sites with human presence to between 1.77 and 1.07 million years ago. Applying a statistical age model, they refined the chronology of the sites, revealing that Venta Micena is the oldest site in Europe with human remains at 1.32 million years old. Barranco León follows at 1.28 million years, while Fuente Nueva 3 dates back 1.23 million years.

The age of the fossils in Orce was further supported by analysis of the fauna found at the sites, which showed a more primitive composition compared to other Early Pleistocene sites in Europe. Interestingly, the absence of the ancestors of pigs, considered Asian immigrants, in the Orce sites between 1 and 1.5 million years ago further suggests the antiquity of these sites. The researcher adds that evidence of a lithic industry similar to that found in North Africa, as well as the presence of African fauna such as hippos and an African primate in the region, support the hypothesis that humans arrived in Europe via the Gibraltar route rather than the Asian route.

These findings also reveal a time difference between the oldest occupation of Asia (1.8 million years ago) and the oldest occupation of Europe (1.3 million years ago). This suggests that African hominids arrived in southwestern Europe more than half a million years after leaving Africa for the first time. The isolation of Europe from Asia and Africa by biogeographical barriers may help explain these differences in human expansion. The Gibraltar route, with its current distance of up to fourteen kilometers to cross, may have been shorter in the past due to tectonic activity and fluctuations in sea level.

Altogether, these new geological datings provide valuable insights into the arrival and migration of the first hominids in Europe. The discoveries at the Orce sites present compelling evidence that supports the notion of early humans entering Europe through the Strait of Gibraltar, shaping our understanding of human evolution and expansion on the continent.

Earlier, SSP reported that remains of hundreds of 7,000-year-old 'standing stone circles' were discovered in Saudi Arabia.