A fossilized skull fragment found in northern Spain’s Atapuerca Mountains in 2022 has been identified as the oldest known human ancestor fossil in western Europe. According to a report in the journal Nature, this fossil is estimated to be between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old. The discovery includes part of the left cheekbone and upper jaw. This finding suggests that early human ancestors reached western Europe much earlier than previously confirmed.

While fossils about 1.8 million years old have been found in Georgia, this Spanish fossil is the earliest evidence of early humans in the western part of Europe. Researchers noted that the fossil has some similarities to Homo erectus, a species that appeared about 2 million years ago. Homo erectus is known to have migrated from Africa to parts of Asia and Europe before disappearing roughly 100,000 years ago. Experts say identifying the species from just one bone fragment is difficult. Differences in bone structure suggest there may have been variations within known species, making classification harder. This discovery supports the idea that early humans explored new areas but did not always settle there. Researchers believe this finding reveals more about human migration patterns and suggests that western Europe played a more important role in early human history than previously thought. The Atapuerca site remains important for understanding human evolution, with earlier discoveries including Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens fossils.