Fossils of the ancestors of humans have been found in Morocco, reinforcing evidence that human history has deep roots in Africa.
The 773,000-year-old fossils come from Thomas Quarry I near Casablanca, which for three decades has provided crucial insights into early human development.
An international research team analysed newly found jaws and teeth that were dug out of coastal cave systems known as Grotte a Hominides. The area on Morocco's Atlantic coast, described as a "treasure house", is renowned for fossil discoveries, with geological conditions created by changing sea levels and dunes proving ideal for their preservation.
The team says its work, published in the journal Nature, provides new insights into the shared ancestry of Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and Denisovans.
Based on genetic evidence and fossil discoveries, scientists have long known that our species, Homo sapiens, originated in Africa.
But team member Dr Philipp Gunz, of the Max Planck Institute in Germany, explained to The National that, until now, scientists were missing fossils that clearly belonged to the ancestors of Homo sapiens.
“Some fossils found in Spain were suggested as possible candidates, but this did not match the genetic evidence pointing to Africa as the place of origin,” he said.
“The new Moroccan fossils fill this gap by providing fossil evidence for African ancestors of the Homo sapiens line. We argue these fossils are best understood as an evolved form of Homo erectus, an earlier human species.
"Their jaws and teeth look more evolved than those of older Homo erectus fossils from Africa and Asia. At the same time, they do not yet show the distinctive features seen in Neanderthals or in modern humans," he added. “Together, these new finds and their precise dates reinforce the view that our ancestry has deep roots in Africa.”
Dr Abderrahim Mohib, of the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage in Morocco, told The National the discovery is important because it confirms the “antiquity and depth” of our species' African roots and highlights the vital role of the North African region in the major stages of human evolution.
“For the first time, North African human fossils – before Homo sapiens – were securely dated and could contribute to the ongoing reconstruction of the human evolution scenario," Dr Mohib said. "Hominin fossils dating to this time period are extremely rare in Africa, Europe, and Asia, making the remains from Grotte a Hominides an important addition to the human fossil record.”
