New discovery in Israel challenges view of human origins

December 31, 2010

Bianca Bothma

For many years, conventional science has believed that humankind originated in Africa. The oldest known fossils of Homo sapiens until now have been found in Ethiopia and South Africa, and suggest that early modern humans emerged between about 100 000 and 200 000 years ago.

A new discovery in Israel announced this week is now challenging this belief. Avi Gopher of Tel Aviv University’s Institute of Archaeology has published a report which claims that his team’s latest discovery could contest the view of where humankind originated.

Gopher and his team have been excavating Qesem Cave in central Israel for the past four years. Eight teeth were uncovered in regions of the cave which date back to 400 000 years ago.

The teeth were discovered in 2006 and the archaeological team has conducted extensive tests which suggest that the teeth are 400 000 years old.

While Gopher and team claim that this discovery will prove that early Homo sapiens may not have originated in Africa, many in the scientific community say that this claim cannot be based on the study of the teeth alone.

Prehistory expert at Cambridge University, Sir Paul Mellars, has been quoted in the media as saying that the chances that the remains are human are unlikely as teeth are unreliable subjects for the study of human origin and that a skull from the cave needs to be analysed to confirm the true identity of the species.

Dr Bernhard Zipfel, curator of the fossil collection at the University of Witwatersrand, is also skeptical about the claim: “I tend to agree with the view of Sir Paul Mellars and I would be truly surprised if the teeth are from modern humans. They do look like human teeth, but bear in mind that part of the world is known for evidence of Neanderthals, which had teeth that resemble the teeth of modern humans, but anatomically they are not direct ancestors.”

Gopher and his team, however, are confident that the teeth are possibly the oldest fossils of modern humans, Homo sapiens, and are therefore continuing to dig in the cave until they find more evidence to support their claim.

Gopher told AFP: “Our cave was used for a period of about 250 000 years – from about 400 000 years ago to about 200 000 years ago.”

“The teeth are scattered through the layers of the cave, some in the deeper part, that is to say from 400 000 years and through all kinds of other layers that can be up to 200 000 years. The oldest are 400 000 years old”, Gopher added.

Visit Maropeng this holiday to view the skull of Australopithecus africanus, a much older hominid than the ones from Israel which lived between 3-million and 2-million years ago, and is currently on display at as part of the Treasures of our Past fossil display.

The Cradle of Humankind is Gauteng’s only World Heritage Site and spans 47 000 hectares. More than 1 000 early hominid fossils have been discovered here, revealing evidence of the complex journey which our species has taken to make us what we are – a place of pilgrimage for all humankind.

Watch this news report about the discovery:

 

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