Scientists in Spain have unearthed fossilized facial bones that could potentially be from a previously unidentified species of the human family, according to research published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. The fossils, which are approximately 1.1 million to 1.4 million years old, make the adult, nicknamed “Pink,” the oldest face in Western Europe.

The specimen, discovered in 2022 at the Atapuerca archaeological site in northern Spain, was found roughly 250 meters away from where the fossils of Western Europe’s previously oldest human, Homo antecessor, were discovered 20 years ago. The upper jawbone and partial cheekbone were found and studied by the country’s team of scientists to learn more about the human ancestor.

Pink’s facial anatomy is more primitive than Homo antecessor, who lived in Western Europe around 850,000 years ago. Pink’s face is described as more “projected forward and more robust” compared to the more slender midface of Homo antecessor, which resembles that of modern humans.

Pink bears some resemblance to Homo erectus, which lived around 2 million years ago and migrated from Africa to regions in Asia and Europe. The incomplete fossils are not sufficient to conclude that Pink belongs to a yet-unnamed ancient human species, but researchers said that it is a possibility.

The discovery introduces a new actor in the history of human evolution in Europe, according to Rosa Huguet, the lead researcher at Spain’s University of Rovira i Virgili.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/spain-scientists-uncover-oldest-face-in-western-europe/a-71907278?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf