考古學家發現百萬年前的人類祖先化石

Source:
VOA | SCIENCE & HEALTH
Archaeologists find million-year-old fossil of a human ancestor
March 13, 2025 1:43 AM

考古學家於2022年在西班牙北部山區發現了西歐迄今最古老的人類祖先化石，包含部分左側顴骨及上顎骨，經判定，該化石距今約110萬至140萬年前，研究結果已於三月發表於《自然》（Nature）期刊。研究人員表示，此化石人種的許多特徵近似直立人猿（Homo erectus），顯示當時早期人類的足跡已進入歐洲。此洞穴群過去亦曾出土晚期尼安德塔人（Neanderthals）的化石。

WASHINGTON — A fossil of a partial face from a human ancestor is the oldest in western Europe, archaeologists reported Wednesday.

The incomplete skull — a section of the left cheek bone and upper jaw – was found in northern Spain in 2022. The fossil is between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old, according to research published in the journal Nature.

"The fossil is exciting," said Eric Delson, a paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History, who was not involved in the study. "It's the first time we have significant remains older than 1 million years old in western Europe."

A collection of older fossils from early human ancestors was previously found in Georgia, near the crossroads of eastern Europe and Asia. Those are estimated to be 1.8 million years old.

The Spanish fossil is the first evidence that clearly shows human ancestors "were taking excursions into Europe" at that time, said Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program.

But there is not yet evidence that the earliest arrivals persisted there long, he said. "They may get to a new location and then die out," said Potts, who had no role in the study.

The partial skull bears many similarities to Homo erectus, but there are also some anatomical differences, said study co-author Rosa Huguet, an archaeologist at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in Tarragona, Spain.

Homo erectus arose around 2 million years ago and moved from Africa to regions of Asia and Europe, with the last individuals dying out around 100,000 years ago, said Potts.

It can be challenging to identify which group of early humans a fossil find belongs to if there's only a single fragment versus many bones that show a range of features, said University of Zurich paleoanthropologist Christoph Zollikofer, who was not involved in the study.

The same cave complex in Spain's Atapuerca Mountains where the new fossil was found also previously yielded other significant clues to the ancient human past. Researchers working in the region have also found more recent fossils from Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens .

Language Notes

paleontologist：古生物學家。 ⬆
excursion：（常指結伴同行的）遠足，短程旅行。 ⬆
Homo erectus：直立猿人。⬆
complex：建築群。 ⬆
Homo sapiens：人類；智人。 ⬆

Check your comprehension!

Choose the BEST answer to each of the questions below. After you finish, highlight the parentheses to reveal the hidden answers.

1. ( C ) Who is most closely linked to the discovery of the human fossil in Spain?
(A) Eric Delson
(B) Rick Potts
(C) Rose Huguet
(D) Christopher Zollikofer

2. ( C ) What makes identifying early human fossils challenging?
(A) Fossils are often without associated tools or artifacts.
(B) Many fossils are located in accessible areas.
(C) It's hard to classify fossils based on single pieces.
(D) Fossils are often poorly preserved by weather.

3. ( D ) Which of the following statements is TRUE?
(A) The partial skull shares some anatomical features with Homo erectus.
(B) Experts agree that the fossil definitely belongs to Homo sapiens.
(C) The news evidence shows that early humans lived in Spain for a long time.
(D) Early Homo sapiens fossils were also found in the same cave.