Scientists have uncovered evidence suggesting that hominins, the ancient relatives of modern humans, were present in Europe at least 1.95 million years ago.
This find, from Grăunceanu in the Olteț River valley in Romania, represents the first record of homin activity on the continent, predating ancient European hominin fossils by more than a million years.
The discovery, recently published in Nature Communications, hinges on meticulously analyzed cut-marked animal bones unearthed in a fossil-rich region historically overlooked in discussions of early human migration.
According to the researchers, those cut marks were made with tools, indicating that hominids were actively slaughtering animals in what is now central Romania. This marks a shift in our understanding of early human dispersals beyond Africa.
“The timing of the initial dispersal of hominins in Eurasia is unclear,” the researchers wrote. “Our results, presented in combination with several other lines of evidence, imply a widespread, though in all likelihood intermittent, presence of hominins throughout Eurasia for at least 2. 0 Ma. “
For decades, the Dmanisi site in Georgia, dated 1.8 million years ago, was considered the earliest hominin presence in Eurasia. While numerous sites across Asia and the Middle East hinted at hominin activities earlier than Dmanisi, Europe remained a puzzle.
The Romanian site of Grăuncianu, first excavated in the 1960s but only recently dating the employment of state-of-the-art uranium tip methods, now reshapes this narrative. With the utmost confidence dating back 1. 95 million years, demanding situations set deadlines and opens new debates about the pathways and adaptability of early human populations.
The findings could fundamentally change our understanding of when and how hominins ventured into Europe, suggesting that they adapted to a wide range of environments far earlier than previously believed.
The team’s findings arise from a meticulous investigation of some 5,000 animal bones from the Grăunanu site. Of them, 20 samples showed different cut marks: seven with maximum confidence and an additional thirteen considered probable.
The brands were concentrated in typical spaces of diffusion activities, such as pimples and jaws, which suggests intentional butcher shop that the environmental effects or random predators.
These marks were identified using qualitative and quantitative methods, including advanced 3D imaging and comparative statistical analyses. The team says they eliminated alternative explanations, such as trampling or tooth marks, solidifying the case for hominin involvement.
The bones belonged to a of species, adding artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates) and smaller carnivores, reflecting a varied and opportunistic subsistence strategy.
These findings suggest that Grăunceanu provides more than evidence of an early human presence. It paints an image of the environment inhabited by hominids. The area, which is part of the sedimentary basin of Dacia, an aggregate of open grasslands and forests, characterized by soft winters and different rainy and dry stations. The isotopic analysis of a horse tooth of the site revealed diversifications in rainfall and temperature, recommending seasonal adaptations of fauna and hominids.
Grăuncianu’s fauna included an unexpected variety of species, from ostriches to pangolins, which thrive in warm climates. This indicates that although winters were mild, hominins still faced environmental challenges, such as seasonal droughts and limited resources, that would have tested their resilience and adaptability.
This discovery can have wide implications to understand early human evolution and migration. The timeline of the hominid dispersion outside of Africa has been the issue of the intense debate, with the first migrations dating from about 2 million years. Moved faster and adapted to varied and hard environments than in past thought.
The tools used by these hominins remain elusive, as no lithics (stone tools) have been conclusively linked to the site. However, similar sites in the region have yielded simple flake tools, consistent with early Homo species. This raises the possibility that the Grăunceanu hominins were part of a broader wave of migration that included primitive tool technologies.
Despite its importance, Grăuncean poses as many questions as answers. Without direct hominid fossils, researchers can only speculate on the guilty species of cutting marks. The moment corresponds to the first appearances of Homo Erectus in Africa, but other possibilities cannot be ruled out, such as Homo habilis or even an unknown hominid.
The lack of stone equipment also limits the ability to link those hominids to broader cultural or technological tendencies. Future excavations and analysis will aim to discover more direct evidence of their presence, as additional equipment or, ideally, fossilized remains.
Ultimately, the discovery at Grăunceanu underscores the importance of revisiting older fossil sites with modern techniques. As more regions are studied, the timeline of human evolution and migration continues to expand, revealing a more complex and dynamic story than previously imagined.
“Hominids as a whole, and specifically the members of the Homo genre are characterized by their environmental flexibility,” the researchers concluded. “The generalized presence of hominids in Eurasia around 2 mA, as we argue and provide here evidence in the form of clearly marked bones that date from at least 1. 95 mA, is an additional help for this flexibility. “
“While it is clear that the hominin presence in Eurasia at this time was likely geographically and temporally discontinuous, the preponderance of ephemeral traces for hominins in this region can no longer be ignored.”
Tim McMillan is a retired police executive, investigative journalist, and co-founder of The Debrief. His writings focus on defense, national security, the intelligence community, and psychology-related topics. You can follow Tim on Twitter: @lttimcmillan. You can reach Tim by email: tim@thedebrief. org or by encrypted email: lttimcmillan@protonmail. com