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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