Culture

Scientists Discover Jawbone Fossil From Oldest Modern Human Out of Africa

Fossil, found in Israeli cave, dated between 1770,000 & 194,000 years old.

January 26, 2018 12:30 pm

A fossilized human jawbone discovered in Israel. The find may suggest that Homo sapiens first migrated out of Africa at least 50,000 years earlier than previously thought. (Gerhard Weber, University of Vienna)

Scientists announced that they found a fossilized human jawbone in a collapsed cave in Israel that they estimate to be between 1770,000 and 194,000 years old. This find could rewrite the early migration story of humans, pushing back about 50,000 years the time that Homo sapiens first ventured out of Africa. There have been previous discoveries in Israel that convinced some anthropologists that modern humans started leaving Africa between 90,000 and 120,000 years ago. However, this recent discovery is changing that narrative. The upper jawbone includes seven intact teeth and one broken incisor.