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Bone fragments of the oldest known human in Western Europe have been discovered
The BBC reports that scientists in Spain have discovered fossilized facial bones between 1.1 and 1.4 million years old. The fossils, found in the Sima del Elephante cave near Burgos, are fragments that make up about 80% of the left side of the middle part of an adult's face, including the zygomatic bone and parts of the upper jaw.
The fossils were discovered in the early 1980s. They are among the oldest human remains known in Europe. The researchers named the owner of the bones Pink after the band Pink Floyd (although his sex has not been determined).
Pink's facial anatomy was found to be more primitive than that of Homo antecessor, who lived in Western Europe about 850,000 years ago and whose midface was similar to that of modern humans.
The researchers said the bones found were insufficient to conclude that Pink belongs to a new species of ancient man, but that possibility is considered entirely accurate.
