Old Modern Human Remains Older Than Previously Believed

Genetic and archaeological evidence is converging on the time frame in which modern humans emerged as a new species in Africa.

A partial H. sapiens skull and associated skeletal parts found in 1967 in the Kibish rock formation along Ethiopia’s Omo River date to at least around 233,000 years ago, pushing back the age of the fossils by 36,000 years or more. An age well exceeding 200,000 years for the Ethiopian fossils, known as Omo 1, fits with recent fossil discoveries suggesting that H. sapiens evolved across Africa starting roughly 300,000 years ago.

From Science News citing C.M. Vidal, et al., "Age of the oldest known Homo sapiens from eastern Africa" Nature (January 12, 2022). doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04275-8.