This finding holds great significance as it suggests that the initial human populations reached Europe prior to the ‘Homo antecessors,’ whose existence is estimated to be around 860,000 years ago. It serves as a crucial element in piecing together the human evolutionary narrative on the continent.

Source: https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/03/14/europes-oldest-human-face-found-in-atapuerca-we-may-be-looking-at-a-new-species