Unraveling the identities of the primal settlers of Western Europe, their distinct physical attributes, and the temporal and geographical parameters of their existence remain significant unresolved inquiries within the context of Eurasia’s initial peopling during the Early Pleistocene epoch. The existing paleoanthropological data pertaining to Western Europe is notably sparse and predominantly originates from the Iberian Peninsula. However, recent findings by paleoanthropologists have brought to light fragmented hominin midfacial remains discovered at the Sima del Elefante site, nestled within the Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain. These fossils, with an estimated age between 1.4 million and 1.1 million years ago, constitute the most ancient human facial evidence unearthed in Western Europe to date.
Archaeological excavation work at the Sima del Elefante, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain. Image credit: Maria D. Guillén / IPHES-CERCA.
“It is posited that Eurasia experienced its initial hominin colonization at a minimum of 1.8 million years ago,” stated Dr. Rosa Huguet, a distinguished researcher affiliated with the Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, and the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, alongside her esteemed colleagues.
“The evidence for early hominin presence in Western Europe has been restricted to exceedingly fragmentary fossil samples originating from the Iberian Peninsula, offering scant insights into the morphology and taxonomic classification of these ancestral hominins.”
“Fossil discoveries from a Spanish locale, dated to approximately 850,000 years ago, were identified as belonging to Homo antecessor, an archaic human species characterized by a gracile midface configuration reminiscent of modern humans.”
“In the year 2007, a hominin mandible (ATE9-1), estimated to be between 1.2 and 1.1 million years old, was exhumed from the Sima del Elefante site in northern Spain; however, its definitive attribution to Homo antecessor could not be definitively established.”
In their recent investigation, the research team meticulously analyzed the fossilized remnants of a hominin midface recovered from the Sima del Elefante excavation.
Designated ATE7-1, these fragments comprise a significant portion of the maxilla and the left-sided zygomatic bone belonging to an adult individual.
Employing both tangible evidence and advanced 3D imaging methodologies, the scientists undertook the reconstruction of the fragmented fossils, estimating their temporal placement to be between 1.4 and 1.1 million years in the past.
Furthermore, their excavations yielded additional archeological artifacts, including lithic tools and the skeletal remains of animals bearing evidence of butchery.
“These practices unequivocally demonstrate that the earliest European inhabitants possessed a profound comprehension of the available fauna and were adept at their systematic utilization,” commented Dr. Huguet.
According to the scientific consensus, the ATE7-1 fossils do not exhibit the ‘modern’ midfacial characteristics observed in Homo antecessor specimens but instead share certain affinities with the Homo erectus evolutionary lineage.
Consequently, the fossils have been provisionally categorized as Homo aff. erectus, signifying a close relationship with Homo erectus, pending the acquisition of further corroborating evidence.
This groundbreaking discovery could potentially indicate that Western Europe was inhabited by at least two distinct Homo species during the Early Pleistocene epoch: Homo aff. erectus, followed subsequently by Homo antecessor.
“The current evidence remains insufficient for a definitive taxonomic assignment, which is the rationale behind its provisional classification as Homo aff. erectus,” explained Dr. María Martinón-Torres, a researcher at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana and University College London.
“This designation acknowledges the discernible affinities of ATE7-1 with Homo erectus while preserving the possibility of its belonging to an as-yet-unidentified species.”
“Our findings provide compelling evidence that at least two distinct human species coexisted in Western Europe during the Pleistocene era, offering invaluable insights into the evolutionary trajectory of the genus Homo.”
“Despite their diminutive size, our pioneering analysis of these facial fragments has significantly expanded our understanding of the origins and dynamics of early human populations on the continent.”
“Further scholarly inquiry and the discovery of additional fossil specimens are requisite to elucidate the interrelationships among these populations and to further refine their precise taxonomic classifications,” the research team concluded.
Their research article has been published this month in the esteemed journal Nature.
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R. Huguet et al. The earliest human face of Western Europe. Nature, published online March 12, 2025; doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-08681-0
