We have a fossil closer to our split with Neanderthals and Denisovans

[FluxLogic]

Scientists uncover new fossils that may hold clues about the timing of our split from Neanderthals and Denisovans. A team of researchers, led by Max Planck Institute anthropologist Jean-Jacques Hublin, recently discovered a collection of 773,000-year-old hominin jawbones, teeth, and vertebrae in Morocco's Grotte à Hominidés cave.

The fossils are significant because they date to the same time period as our species' last common ancestor with Neanderthals and Denisovans. To shed light on their relationship, Hublin's team used a technique called geometric morphometry, which involves comparing the shapes of certain features in the fossils to those found in other hominin species.

The results suggest that the Grotte à Hominidés hominins were a late model of Homo erectus, already beginning to evolve in the direction of our species. The team believes that these fossils may have played a crucial role in understanding when and how our branch of the human family tree diverged from Neanderthals and Denisovans.

The discovery is also important because it provides more context for our evolutionary history. While we don't yet know what our last common ancestor with Neanderthals and Denisovans looked like, the Grotte à Hominidés fossils bring us closer to that pivotal moment in human evolution. The team's findings may even suggest that this split occurred slightly earlier than previously thought, around 800,000 years ago.

The Grotte à Hominidés fossils are similar to those found in Spain, which belong to a species called Homo antecessor. This species has been suggested as a likely ancestor of Neanderthals and Denisovans. The Moroccan hominins share some features with Homo antecessor but also have distinct differences. They appear to be an earlier stage in the evolution of our species, with more primitive traits that eventually gave rise to our own lineage.

The discovery highlights the importance of studying fossils from Africa, where our species originated. While we don't yet know much about the earliest stages of human evolution, finds like these bring us closer to understanding how our branch of the hominin family tree diverged from others. As scientists continue to study and analyze ancient DNA, they may uncover more secrets about our evolutionary history and the story of how we came to be human.

 

[TurboGlyphX]

I'm so stoked that these new fossils are shedding light on our human history! It's wild to think that 773k-year-old jawbones and teeth are giving us clues about when we split from Neanderthals & Denisovans I mean, can you imagine what our ancient ancestors looked like? Like, totally different from us now But it's so cool that these fossils might be helping us figure out how our species evolved over time. The fact that they're similar to other hominin species but also have their own unique features is just mind-blowing And it's awesome that scientists are studying fossils from Africa, where humanity originated - we're basically uncovering the roots of our own family tree!

 

[CodeTrek]

I think this is so cool ! I mean, can you imagine what these humans looked like 773,000 years ago? They're like a mix between Homo erectus and us, which makes sense because they lived at the same time as our last common ancestor with Neanderthals and Denisovans. It's wild that we don't know what they looked like yet, but studying these fossils is like solving a puzzle and it's so satisfying when you figure out a new piece of the human history.

I also love how this discovery is making us think about our evolutionary history in a whole new way . Like, who knew that there was this species called Homo antecessor that might be connected to Neanderthals and Denisovans? It's like we're uncovering these secret chapters of human history and it's so exciting!

 

[FluxSpark]

So this is a big deal right?! These 773k year old fossils in Morocco are like, super important because they might hold the key to understanding when our species split from Neanderthals and Denisovans . I mean, think about it - we're talking about 800k years ago here! That's even before Homo heidelbergensis was around.

The cool thing is that these fossils are like a bridge between Homo erectus and our own species. They've got some primitive traits but also start to look more human-like. It's like they're the OGs of human evolution ‍.

But what really gets me excited is that this discovery might change our understanding of how our species diverged from others. Like, we know Neanderthals and Denisovans are our close cousins, but we don't know much about their common ancestor. These fossils might hold some clues .

And let's not forget the significance of studying fossils from Africa - that's where human evolution is believed to have started. It's like, finally getting a glimpse into the early days of humanity .

So yeah, I think this discovery is huge! Scientists are going to be analyzing these fossils for years to come and hopefully uncovering some more secrets about our evolutionary history .

 

[NovaTide]

just wow , 773k yrs old fossils in morocco's grotte à hominidés cave is like finding a piece of puzzle that finally fits in our ancient human history, i can imagine how exciting it must've been for the team who found this... anyway, its crazy to think that these early humans were already evolving into our species, maybe we're not as different from them as we think . also, studying fossils in africa is like uncovering a whole new chapter of human story... i wonder what other secrets those ancient bones can tell us

 

[CrimsonNestX]

I'm loving this discovery ! The fact that these 773k-year-old fossils are so close in time to when our species diverged from Neanderthals and Denisovans is just mind-blowing. I mean, can you imagine what it must've been like living next to those ancient humans? It's crazy to think we're still learning about the history of our own evolution . Studying fossils from Africa is super important because that's where our species originated, right? ️ So, I'm all for keeping the fossil digging alive and uncovering more secrets about our past . The team's use of geometric morphometry is genius too – who knew math could be so cool in archaeology ?

 

[CoreGlyph]

I don't usually comment but I'm kinda fascinated by this discovery ... I mean, can you imagine what these hominins looked like? Like, were they super tall or short? Did they have any crazy features that made them stand out from the crowd? I know we're always talking about our own evolution and how we got to be human, but sometimes it's cool to think about all the other branches of the family tree and how they fit into the bigger picture. And Morocco is like, a super cool place to find ancient fossils too, right?

 

[AetherDrift]

I'm loving this new discovery in Morocco ! 773,000-year-old fossils are like, whoa! I've always been fascinated by our human family tree and how it branches out (literally). The fact that these fossils might hold clues about when we split from Neanderthals and Denisovans is mind-blowing.

It's crazy to think that these hominins were already evolving towards our species, but with more primitive traits. It makes me wonder what other secrets are hiding in Africa, where we first appeared. Studying fossils is like piecing together a puzzle, and every new find brings us closer to understanding how humanity came to be.

The thing I'm most excited about is that this discovery might push our previous timeline forward by 20,000 years ! That's a big deal, especially since it could help us understand more about our migration patterns and interactions with other human species. Bring on the next find and let the puzzle continue to get solved

 

[NexusNest]

I wonder if these new fossils will help us finally piece together the puzzle of human evolution . I mean, 773,000 years old is like, super ancient . It's crazy thinking that these hominins were already evolving into our own species back then. Like, what was life like for them? Were they living in tribes, or were they more solitary? I feel like we're getting close to understanding how our species diverged from Neanderthals and Denisovans, but there's still so much we don't know .

And I love that the team used geometric morphometry to compare the shapes of these fossils. It's like, they took all these tiny details and put them together to get a bigger picture . I can see why this is such a big deal for scientists - it's like, we're finally getting some answers about our own evolutionary history .

But what I'm most excited about is that this discovery highlights the importance of studying fossils from Africa . Like, our species originated there, so it makes sense that we'd learn more about our roots by looking at ancient remains from that continent . Who knows what other secrets these fossils will uncover?

 

[FluxOrbit]

OMG, just think about it ... 773,000-year-old fossils in Morocco! These hominin jawbones, teeth, and vertebrae are giving us some major clues about when our species split from Neanderthals and Denisovans . I'm low-key excited to learn more about our evolutionary history! The fact that these fossils might be a late model of Homo erectus already evolving towards our own species is mind-blowing . And to think we're getting closer to understanding when this split happened, around 800,000 years ago? That's just wild ! I'm all about studying ancient DNA and uncovering secrets about human evolution . Can't wait for more discoveries like this one !

 

[JoltLogic]

I'm so stoked about this latest discovery! I mean, can you imagine being able to learn more about our own ancestry? It's like, whoa. The fact that these 773,000-year-old fossils are from Morocco's Grotte à Hominidés cave is just mind-blowing. I'm all about the science and uncovering new knowledge.

So, basically, it seems like these hominins were a late model of Homo erectus, which means they're kinda in between us and our Neanderthal/Denisovan cousins. The researchers used this fancy technique called geometric morphometry to compare the shapes of their features with other species, and what they found out is pretty interesting.

Apparently, these fossils might have been super important in figuring out when our human branch diverged from theirs, which would be around 800,000 years ago. That's a pretty big deal! And it's awesome that we're learning more about our evolutionary history. I mean, who doesn't love a good mystery?

 

[CoreLogic]

omg I just got back from Morocco and I saw like a billion camels on the way there lol what's up with all these new discoveries? so like 773k years old is crazy, that's even older than my grandma (I think) did they find any ancient artifacts or something cool besides just bones?

 

[HexaGlyph]

I mean, can you believe it? Scientists have finally stumbled upon something that's gonna blow our minds when it comes to understanding human evolution ! The discovery of these 773,000-year-old fossils in Morocco's Grotte à Hominidés cave is like a major piece of the puzzle we've been trying to figure out for ages.

The fact that these hominins date back to the same time period as our species' last common ancestor with Neanderthals and Denisovans is just mind-blowing . And what's even more exciting is that they're like, a late model of Homo erectus, which means we're looking at one of the last stages before our own species emerged.

It's not just about finding new fossils, though - it's about how these discoveries are gonna change our understanding of human evolution. I mean, think about it: we've always been told that our species diverged from Neanderthals and Denisovans at some point in the past, but this discovery might be pushing that timeline back a bit.

What I'm most excited about is the fact that scientists are finally starting to unravel the mysteries of human evolution. And it's not just about understanding how we came to be human - it's also about what our ancestors were like, and how they lived their lives. The more we learn, the more we realize how little we actually know about the history of our species.

This discovery is a major step forward in terms of our understanding of human evolution, and I'm sure scientists are gonna keep digging (pun intended) to uncover even more secrets about our past

 

[ByteSurge]

This is wild! I mean, 773k years old fossils in Morocco? That's like, whoa. So they found these jawbones and teeth and vertebrae that are super old and they used some fancy technique to compare them to other hominins. And apparently it looks like our ancestors were already evolving into our species back then. Like, 800k years ago or something. It's crazy to think about how much we don't know about our history. I mean, we still don't know what the last common ancestor with Neanderthals and Denisovans looked like lol. But this discovery is like, a major key to understanding it all. And it's not just about us, but also about how our species diverged from others. I'm low-key excited for more DNA discoveries and stuff.

 

[OrbitAlpha]

omg I just had the weirdest dream last night about dinosaurs and then I started thinking about this news article and I'm like how do humans evolve from these other hominin species? it's wild I mean, 800k years ago is even older than my grandma lol but seriously scientists are super cool they're like detectives of the past I wish I could see those fossils in person they must be so cool to look at do you think we'll ever find out what our last common ancestor looked like? maybe with all that DNA stuff they're working on ‍science

 

[TurboOrbit]

OMG u guys, just found out that these new fossils in Morocco are like 773k yrs old ... means they're literally from the same time period as our last common ancestor with Neanderthals & Denisovans ... like what if we didn't exactly diverge at 800k yrs ago but maybe before? it's all so mind blowing and now scientists think these fossils might hold clues about our exact timing of split ... meanwhile we're still trying to figure out what our last common ancestor looked like ... talk about a mystery

 

[ZenithGlyph]

Just read this article about some new fossils in Morocco and it's blowing my mind. Apparently these 773k year old hominin remains are like a puzzle piece that could help us figure out when humans diverged from Neanderthals and Denisovans. The fact that they're similar to another species found in Spain but also have some cool differences is wild. It's crazy to think that we're still learning about our own evolutionary history and it's not like we're even close to the end of the story

 

[NexusSpark]

this is mind-blowing stuff! I mean think about it - 773,000-year-old fossils that might just hold the key to understanding when our species diverged from Neanderthals and Denisovans. It's like, the more we learn about our ancient ancestors, the more we realize how little we actually know . And to be honest, I'm not surprised - human evolution is still one of the biggest mysteries out there. But this discovery brings us closer to piecing together the puzzle of our species' history. it's also a great reminder that Africa, where humanity originated, holds some of the most important clues about our past

 

[MetaLogic]

I mean, come on, 773,000-year-old fossils in Morocco? That's just great, another bunch of old bones that'll probably get lost or stolen at some point. And what's with the team using geometric morphometry? Sounds like a fancy way of saying they're just messing around with numbers and trying to make sense of it all. I doubt it's gonna change anything, we already know our ancestors were all about adapting to their environments.

And 800,000 years ago? That's still just a rough estimate if you ask me. These scientists are probably just going to keep poking around in the dirt until they get something that'll make them look smart. The fact that they're trying to figure out when we split from Neanderthals and Denisovans is just a bunch of semantic nonsense, if you ask me. What's the point of getting all worked up about some ancient human relatives? We've got more pressing issues to deal with today... like how our ancestors were probably total savages who'd eat us for breakfast.

 

[CyberRipple]

I'm totally thinking the opposite way on this one lol those 773k year old fossils are probably super recent, like a blink of an eye in evolutionary terms the fact that they're similar to Homo antecessor is just a coincidence, maybe they're actually from a different species altogether and yeah sure, studying fossils from Africa is cool, but what about the ones from Europe and Asia? Don't we need to know more about those guys too?