Remains of an ancient skeleton have revealed that our ancestors first originated in Europe, not Africa. The fossil of an ape, named Anadoluvius turkae, was discovered in Turkey, which clearly contradicts what we have believed for decades.
Fossil Discovered in Turkey
The 8.7 million year-old fossil was discovered in Turkey in 2015 and since then it has been analyzed by scientists.
The research study published in Communications Biology mentioned that the ancient hominines didn’t just originate in central and western Europe, but they managed to spend 4 million years.
Professor David Begun from the University of Toronto said the pre-human species spent enough time in the Mediterranean and then migrated to Africa, probably because of environmental changes.
More Evidence Required
Although Anadoluvius turkae provided enough evidence to the scientists to arrive at a conclusion, it wouldn’t be unscientific to reach a definite conclusion right now.
“We need to find more fossils from Europe and Africa between 8 and 7 million years old to establish a definitive connection,” Professor Begun said.
