ABOVE: Hominin teeth compared in the study
AIDA GOMEZ-ROBLES/ANA MUELA/JOSE MARIA BERMUDEZ DE CASTRO
Scientists have been searching for the common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans in the fossils of hominins. A new analysis of hominin dental evolution places the most recent common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans to be at least 800,000 years ago, according to a study published today (May 15) in Science Advances. Previous estimates based on DNA and cranial features placed the divergence at around 400,000 years ago, according to the report.
Aida Gómez-Robles of University College London examined hominin teeth from a cave named Sima de los Huesos (SH) in Spain that have been dated to 430,000 years ago, as well as teeth from seven other hominins. The paper states that, because SH hominins’ dental shape evolved from the ancestral tooth shape of Neanderthals, SH hominins existed after the last common ancestor of Neanderthals ...
