In the relentless search to know how the ancestors of humans spread across the world, the latest evidence has revealed that hominins were in Europe at least 1.95 million years ago. Clues on their presence were recently found by researchers at an archaeological site in Romania that could now help explain hominins’ early dispersal out of Africa.
A study published in Nature Communications details the prominent find, which predates evidence of hominins previously found at other sites across Europe. Researchers involved with the study uncovered new answers at Grăunceanu, a site that lies south of the Carpathian Mountains in a river valley that is rich in fossils.
Researchers didn't identify hominin remains at Grăunceanu, but instead found animal bones with cuts that revealed a hominin presence. The site was once teeming with extinct fauna, including several carnivores, equine species, rhinocerotoids, and rodents.
Additionally, the presence of certain warm-adapted (or less ...
