Modern human origins backdated

Gunter Brauer , Yuji Yokoyama (1) , Christophe Falguères (2) , Emma Mbua

1 IPH - Institut de Paléontologie Humaine
2 HNHP - Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique

Here we report datings of a hominid cranium (specimen KNM-ER 3884) and femur (KNM-ER 999) from the Lake Turkana region, Kenya, that indicate ages of around 270,000 and 300,000 years, respectively. These hominids might represent the oldest near-modern human specimens from anywhere in the world. Our datings and other recent evidence indicate that the chronological framework of Homo sapiens evolution in Africa needs to be revised.

Domains: Humanities and Social Sciences; Archaeology and Prehistory

Gunter Brauer, Yuji Yokoyama, Christophe Falguères, Emma Mbua. Modern human origins backdated. [e-mail], 1997. ⟨hal-03741311⟩