The fossil was found in Spain and included a tooth.
An ancient upper jawbone discovered in Spain reveals the unique facial features of an individual who may be the oldest known ancient human relative in Europe.
Prior to this discovery, the earliest known hominid fossils unearthed in Europe were dated to 1.2 million years ago. That find included a portion of a mandible, or the lower jawbone, and several bone fragments, according to a 2012 study published in the British Dental Journal . The most recent discovery came as a surprise to researchers, who weren't expecting to find fossils that were older than those already uncovered at the site.
Paleoanthropologists believe that, similar to the previous fossilized find, the upper jawbone exhibits characteristics that showcase the evolutionary pattern of the human face. In other words, Téllez and his team theorize that the bone could be that of someone who was more closely related to modern-day Europeans than more ape-like primates, such as Homo habilis, an extinct species of archaic humans from Africa dating to the Pleistocene epoch .
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