Oldest human fossil outside Africa discovered in Israel

The discovery of a fossil in Israel has revealed humans left Africa far earlier than previously thought.

Scientists have long thought humans – or Homo sapiens – left Africa around 100,000 years ago. 

But the new fossil known as Misliya-1 after the cave it was found in is estimated to be between 175,000-200,000 years old - by far the oldest evidence for modern humans found outside of Africa., 

Calling it "an exciting discovery," Professor Rolf Quam, an anthropologist at Binghamton University and co-author of the study said: "It provides the clearest evidence yet that our ancestors first migrated out of Africa much earlier than we previously believed."

Professor Israel Hershkovitz, an anthropologist at Tel Aviv University who led the study which was published in the journal Science, added: “This changes the whole concept of modern human evolution."

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