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[Adventurer]

Last Updated: Wednesday, 26 March 2008, 18:28 GMT

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Spain dig yields ancient European
By Paul Rincon
Science reporter, BBC News



The lower jaw could be from a female
Scientists have discovered the oldest human remains in western Europe.

A jawbone and teeth discovered at the famous Atapuerca site in northern Spain have been dated between 1.1 and 1.2 million years old.

The finds provide further evidence for the great antiquity of human occupation on the continent, the researchers write in the journal Nature.

Scientists also found stone tools and animal bones with tell-tale cut marks from butchering by humans.

It gives us confidence that Europe was not left out of the picture of the spread of early humans

Prof Chris Stringer, Natural History Museum
The discovery comprises part of a human's lower jawbone. The remains of seven teeth were found still in place; an isolated tooth, belonging to the same individual, was also unearthed.


Its small size suggests it could have belonged to a female.

The find was made in the Sierra de Atapuerca, a region of gently rolling hills near the Spanish city of Burgos which contains a complex of ancient limestone caves.


See one view of human evolution

INTERESTINGBREAKFASTREAD

[igotthisguitar]

[mindmetoo]

Remember they're still debating the hobbits in Indonesia. Archeology and paleontology are very, very conservative sciences. One newspaper article isn't really reflective of the actual debate that's going to be going on in scientific circles.

[some waygug-in]

I'll remember that as I contemplate your avatar. *o*