The finding of a partial skull or calvaria, in Manot Cave in Western Galilee, Israel has created a great deal of excitement. The calvaria was dated to 54.7 thousand years ago, using uranium-thorium dating. The skull fits into the time period when scientists believe modern humans of African origin spread out across Eurasia, eventually replacing all other forms of hominids.
Israel Hershkovitz of Tel Aviv University and his associates presented their findings in a paper released Wednesday in the journal Nature. In an email, Hershkovitz explained the migrants are called modern humans because of their anatomy. The earliest remains of modern humans in Europe date to about 45,000 years ago.
Many experts with no connection to the work are impressed. “This is the first evidence we have of the humans who made this journey,” apart from some ancient tools, said Eric Delson of Lehman College and the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Delson said finding a fossil that fits in with what is believed to be the route of the ancient migration is exciting. “we didn’t have it before,” he said, according to the New York Times.
Katerina Harvati of the University of Tuebingen in Germany said the skull also gives us clues to the anatomy of the migrants. She also points out that since Neanderthals were known to already exist in the area, the skull proves that modern humans and Neanderthals did co-exist there, as has long been suspected.
Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London in an email said this discovery also supports the idea that Neanderthals and modern humans interbred there, saying it is well dated to the estimated time, some 50,000 to 60,000 years ago when interbreeding took place.
