All articles tagged with #middle pleistocene
Nine teeth from the Payre site in southeastern France, dated to about 250,000 years ago, show a mix of Neanderthal and earlier Middle Pleistocene features when scanned with micro-CT and analyzed geometrically. The variation occurs both within Payre’s layers and relative to other European sites, suggesting that Neanderthal evolution in Europe was shaped by regional population structure rather than a single linear progression.
New findings from Xigou in central China date to roughly 160,000–72,000 years ago and reveal advanced lithic technologies—core-on-flake and discoid reduction, a diverse suite of small flakes, and the earliest hafted (composite) tools in Eastern Asia—indicating a long span (about 90,000 years) of technological innovation and adaptive strategies during the late Middle to middle Late Pleistocene, with implications for hominin variability (e.g., brain size) at contemporary sites like Lingjing.
Researchers at Marathousa 1 in Greece have identified the oldest known handheld wooden tools, dated to about 430,000 years ago. The finds include two wood fragments showing shaping and use—a digging stick likely used near the lakeshore and a small finger-held tool—made from alder and willow/poplar. A third alder fragment bears deep claw marks from a bear, indicating co-occurrence with large predators. Preserved by waterlogged sediments, the tools demonstrate careful material choice and suggest early humans exploited local wetland resources, pushing back the record for wooden artifacts in southeastern Europe by at least 40,000 years.
A new study using advanced dating techniques has confirmed that the Petralona skull from Greece is at least 286,000 years old, providing crucial insights into human evolution and suggesting a complex, branching history of human populations in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene.
A new study using advanced dating techniques has confirmed that the Petralona skull from Greece is at least 286,000 years old, providing crucial insights into human evolution and suggesting a complex, branching history of human populations in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene.
A nearly complete skull found in Greece, known as the Petralona skull, has been dated to be at least 286,000 years old using U-series dating, shedding light on its place in human evolutionary history and suggesting it belongs to a distinct, primitive Homo group that coexisted with other hominin species in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene.
Researchers have dated the nearly complete Petralona Cave skull from Greece to be at least 286,000 years old using U-series dating, suggesting it belongs to a distinct, more primitive human group that coexisted with Neanderthals during the Middle Pleistocene.
Researchers have identified a new species of ancient humans, Homo juluensis, based on large skull fossils found in China. This discovery, dating from 220,000 to 100,000 years ago, adds to the understanding of hominin variation during the Middle Pleistocene epoch. The fossils exhibit a mix of Neanderthal, modern human, and Denisovan traits, suggesting hybridization played a role in human evolution in eastern Asia. The classification of H. juluensis is debated, with some experts suggesting it may align more closely with H. longi.
The oldest known fossil of the modern hippo species, Hippopotamus amphibius, in Europe has been discovered in Rome. The skull, dating back between 560,000-460,000 years, provides new insights into the early dispersal of hippos in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene. This finding contributes to a better understanding of the deep history of these large mammals and their significance as indicators of past climate and environmental conditions.
Fossils of a previously unknown human ancestor, estimated to be around 300,000 years old, have been discovered in eastern China. The remains, including a jawbone, partial skull, and leg bones, exhibit a unique combination of features that do not match those of known human ancestors. The hominin appears to be a previously unidentified lineage, sharing traits with both Pleistocene hominins and modern humans. The discovery suggests that features found in modern humans began to emerge as early as 300,000 years ago. Further research is needed to understand the evolutionary patterns leading to modern humans and the geographic distribution of hominin species during the Pleistocene.