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|NEXT STORY »

Skull Find Shakes Up Theories on Early Humanity

Remains found in Georgia suggest mankind's evolution had Eurasian chapter

By Rob Quinn| Posted Sep 9, 09 6:06 AM CDT|

(Newser) – Theories of human evolution have been thrown into disarray by ancient human remains found in Georgia, the Independent reports. The skulls, unearthed near Tbilisi, are from 1.8 million years ago, 800,000 years before modern humanity's ancestors were believed to have first moved out of Africa. The find, scientists say, suggests our ancient ancestors evolved into modern humans in Eurasia before migrating back to Africa.

Researchers believe the early humans found had brains around half the size of those of modern humans, walked upright, and were proficient tool makers. "The Dmanisi hominins are the earliest representatives of our own genus—Homo—outside Africa," a Georgian professor said. "They might be ancestral to all later Homo erectus populations, which would suggest a Eurasian origin of Homo erectus."

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

This skull was one of five remains of primitive humans found at the Dminisi archaeological site near Tbilisi. (Georgian National Museum)

This skull found in Georgia is among the oldest human remains ever found outside Africa. (Georgian National Museum)

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The question is whether Homo erectus originated in Africa or Eurasia, and if in Eurasia, did we have vice-versa migration?
- Professor David Lordkipanidze, general director of the Georgia National Museum

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51 comments

VIEWING:

littleoopie
Sep 9, 09 6:35 AM CDT

That is intriguing, but I doubt that we'll ever know how everything progressed. At least we, the evolved product of hundreds of thousands of years, know how to treat each other with respect and dignity--oh, wait... Reply

+24

IN RESPONSE:

dontlikenobody
Sep 9, 09 6:46 AM CDT

Too bloody true.

+11

IN RESPONSE:

odowd80
Sep 10, 09 10:19 AM CDT

Wait, I thought the Earth was 5,000 years old. This skull must be another one of God's tricks to test my faith. Nice try, God.

| 0 minutes ago

Observer
Sep 9, 09 7:54 AM CDT

I always thought we were really Eurasians. Reply

-2

IN RESPONSE:

shonangreg
Sep 9, 09 9:49 AM CDT

Why? You think we are too advanced to have developed in Africa? That sounds like latent racism. Please spin it another way if I missed another interpretation. ...................... And these skulls, from my reading, it may be that a group of early Homo erectus left Africa earlier than we thought and became a terminal experiment with no survivors today. The main trunk of Homo erectus continued evolving in Africa and then left again later as full-fledged Homo sapiens. Evolving outside Africa and then going back into Africa and continuing our evolution is perhaps possible, though less likely, and not supported from what I can read on the Independent site.

-13

IN RESPONSE:

Rob
Sep 9, 09 11:24 AM CDT

@greg Fact is that there are several working theories of human evolution and one of them is outside Africa. Why is that racist to you? There is evidence for both theories and your position seems to be a racist artifact demanding that science comply with you and your ideas rather than maintain the open question that exists now. We may never know, but multiple emigrations from Africa is only one idea, and one that does not explain all of the evidence.

+14

IN RESPONSE:

dax
Sep 9, 09 11:36 AM CDT

White supremacists everywhere heave a sigh of relief, as science draws back slightly from the Rift Valley.

IN RESPONSE:

pilotman
Sep 9, 09 12:32 PM CDT

@shonangreg... you are proposing latent racism by saying that we had to evolve from Africa, because Africans today are obviously not as evolved as other countries. you can always twist what people say, congratulations.

IN RESPONSE:

shonangreg
Sep 9, 09 4:44 PM CDT

I didn't say we had to have evolved in Africa. William of Occam is the one saying that -- him and his razor and all the fossils coming from Africa of pre-and early Homo sapiens. I just said that finding early Homo erectus fossils in Europe does not mean we must have evolved there. I did admit to the possibility. Show me the logical assumption I'M making there, Rob or pilotman. ................ As to Observer's comment that he always thought we were "really Eurasians", where is the basis for that? ANY basis for that? The racist basis is easy to see. Please, any of you, point out another reason why it could "seem" that we evolved in Europe.

IN RESPONSE:

Bambi
Sep 10, 09 11:42 AM CDT

Shonangreg--I'm sure you're over it now, but if you are like me you like to source misunderstandings. I think the only reason you got grief for your first post is because of the following line: "The main trunk of Homo erectus continued evolving in Africa and then left again later as full-fledged Homo sapiens." You qualified all the other lines in your post, and rather obviously meant to qualify this one as well, but simply failed to perform this semantic formality. I think everyone jumped on you (and I thought critically of you until I reread it myself) because of the failure to preface that one line with 'perhaps'. We can see from the rest of that post, and your subsequent posts that you are not racist nor even presumptuous. Just thought I'd clear that up for what it's worth.

IN RESPONSE:

shonangreg
Sep 11, 09 12:16 AM CDT

Thanks for the followup, Bambi. Yes, I was wondering why I got so many thumbs down's. I figured it was because I mentioned the plausible latent racial interpretation for Observer's comment. What other explanation could there be? We smell like cheese? We like red wine? Central Europeans have heavy brow ridges like Neanderthals? None of this groks. How can early homonids "seem" European . . . And you were right about the qualifications. Everything from, "...from my reading, it may be..." to "...left again as full-fledged Homo sapiens" was one story -- one plausible interpretation. That was the voice it was written in. I don't mind the demerits, but again, thanks for the followup :-)

| 0 minutes ago

Even-Steven
Sep 9, 09 9:31 AM CDT

Makes me want to start a war or commit some form of genocide. If we all came from the same source how in the hell can I feel superior to other races. I'm depressed. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

schmidtkoff
Sep 9, 09 10:42 AM CDT

again i post that we all came from mitochondrial dna from one mother, mitochondrial eve. don't be depressed. and no you can't feel superior either. you might want to check nat geo's genographic project.

IN RESPONSE:

circuitries
Sep 9, 09 10:44 AM CDT

I know, right? Why does science always gotta fuck up my racism?

IN RESPONSE:

wwwonderer
Sep 9, 09 11:19 AM CDT

That's the problem: the need to compare. How does one KNOW they are 'better'. People NEED to feel superior to feel good about themselves. That means that the has to automatically be an inferior. This has always confused me about he nature of religious believe: if God is ALL GOOD, and there is NO EVEIL, how does one KNOW God is ALL GOOD. You must have hot to have cold. You must have up to have down. You must have wet to have dry. You must have near to have far. You must have left to have right. And if God was all good, how can evil come from ALL good? You will never get fire from ice. You will never get water from dirt. You can imagine before the days of sports, academia, video games, there were few opportunities to feel superior. So why not have a built in indicator of superiority and inferiority. "My skin tone makes me better than those with other skin tones." WTF???? Humans are humans. Let's treat people like people....... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.... What goes around comes around...... Whatsoever you do the least of my brothers...

IN RESPONSE:

Even-Steven
Sep 14, 09 3:53 PM CDT

I spent my whole life waiting for science to catch up with my cutting edge beliefs on hating the ever living hell out of every race but my own. And now THIS!?!?! Next thing you're going to tell me that Barrack Obama was born in the United States!

| 0 minutes ago

Yourself
Sep 9, 09 10:20 AM CDT

so much for the theory of adam and eve.. lol Reply

IN RESPONSE:

laslow
Sep 9, 09 10:26 AM CDT

lol, theory

IN RESPONSE:

sysco9
Sep 9, 09 11:41 AM CDT

i still havent given up on that theory...the good lord must have put those skulls here to test our faith...that HAS to be it

IN RESPONSE:

Mr.C
Sep 9, 09 2:24 PM CDT

I'll take Adam and Eve over continuous guessing any day.

-4

IN RESPONSE:

shonangreg
Sep 9, 09 4:54 PM CDT

Yeah, you guess just once and then prohibit any checking on the guess ;-)

IN RESPONSE:

Snarfeh
Sep 9, 09 5:22 PM CDT

You'd take Adam and Eve over science? God said "let there be...." over and over to create the earth, but when he created humans, he suddenly needed dirt and bones? He couldn't just say "let there be..." with them, too? Per the bible, he created everything by just saying it now exists but humans. What happened? Did his powers run down or something? Or, did his inner child just want to play with dirt and bones for a bit?

IN RESPONSE:

circuitries
Sep 9, 09 8:24 PM CDT

@Mr. C I know, right? Ignorance is so much less work.

| 0 minutes ago

blusky09
Sep 9, 09 10:35 AM CDT

how about that family guy clip of evolution? Reply

| 0 minutes ago

laslow
Sep 9, 09 11:04 AM CDT

Relax everybody... They're just props from that shitty Indiana Jones movie that came out two years ago. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

pete_ess
Sep 9, 09 11:17 AM CDT

FASCINATING!! Of course, DNA will reveal much more than bones. These theories from the bone-diggers are all rather old-fashioned and quaint, but are being completely overshadowed by WAY more accurate data from our DNA. See Stephen Oppenheimer's book Out of Eden, and others' work on this. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

shonangreg
Sep 9, 09 5:00 PM CDT

I think they're too old for DNA testing. Neanderthals at about 100,000 years is as far back as we have been able to find preserved DNA in humans -- and 500,000 years for plants frozen in the arctic. The fossils in question here are not from the arctic and they're four times as old.

IN RESPONSE:

bewilderbeast
Sep 10, 09 5:13 AM CDT

No, you must read about this: It's DNA testing on US (living humans), not on old bones. It's absolutely fascinating how that tells us about where we came from.

IN RESPONSE:

shonangreg
Sep 10, 09 5:26 AM CDT

I see. I misunderstood. Pete was not saying DNA tests of the bones would reveal anything; he was talking about DNA testing of living populations. Thanks for pointing this out, bewilderbeast.

| 0 minutes ago

dax
Sep 9, 09 11:30 AM CDT

Surely a work in progress. Stay tuned for developments. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

JoeQ
Sep 9, 09 12:03 PM CDT

Homo erectus is in the same genus, but not the same species. I wouldn't be surprised if there have been dozens of human species and we're just the last survivors. That would be pretty hard to verify, of course, since the fossil record is so spotty. A lot of time passed between, say, 4 million years ago when we became distinctly non-chimp and, say, 100 thousand years ago when we emerged pretty much as what we are now. There was plenty of time in there for us to ping pong around the world a few times easily. If anything is a surprise if that we did not make it to Australia and the new world until just recently. Now what would be cool is to find homo erectus in the new world. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

OWLWOMANXXXX
Sep 9, 09 12:34 PM CDT

huh

IN RESPONSE:

pete_ess
Oct 7, 09 1:33 PM CDT

You'll be surprised when "we" got to Aussie, JoeQ: Before we got to America! South America was last. Check this: http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/

| 0 minutes ago

OWLWOMANXXXX
Sep 9, 09 12:35 PM CDT

Homo Erectus????what happened to Homo Sapiens Reply

-3

| 0 minutes ago

JohnnyDummkopf
Sep 9, 09 2:28 PM CDT

I'm surprised no one made the obvious penis joke...I'm dissapointed, Newser. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

OWLWOMANXXXX
Sep 9, 09 2:36 PM CDT

roflmao

| 0 minutes ago

Rocket448
Sep 9, 09 2:48 PM CDT

I see the article says "a Eurasian origin for HOMO ERECTUS", not a Eurasian origin for Homo Sapiens. The possibility that Homo Sapiens evolved on the African savanna hasn't been altered by this news. What has changed is our understanding of human (genus: homo) migration. This little guy they've found is possible evidence that humans may have had a separate family trees, all of which came to an end before homo sapiens came on the scene. Or, homo sapiens evolved and competed with the other humans and was more successful. Its possible that our species was once in direct contact (and conflict) with other humans, but probably not with this recently-identified human. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Dr.Gonzo
Sep 9, 09 3:19 PM CDT

all this homo talk does not make me erectus Reply

IN RESPONSE:

peacenique
Sep 10, 09 9:37 AM CDT

i love it Doc!!

-1

| 0 minutes ago

Snarfeh
Sep 9, 09 5:25 PM CDT

Check this out: http://www.becominghuman.org/ Reply

| 0 minutes ago

medicboi
Sep 9, 09 8:48 PM CDT

Thank you @Rocket448, the article (like most science reporting these days, unfortunately) missed the mark slightly. but as usual it was enough to change the entire meaning of the article. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

bewilderbeast
Sep 10, 09 5:22 AM CDT

Old bones are last century, people. This is where it's now at: The analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) OF LIVING HUMANS has been a potent tool in our understanding of human evolution, owing to characteristics such as high copy number, apparent lack of recombination1, high substitution rate2 and maternal mode of inheritance3. See: http://www.familytreedna.com/pdf/Fagundes-et-al.pdf Reply

IN RESPONSE:

shonangreg
Sep 10, 09 5:32 AM CDT

Don't be so non-chalantly dismissive of "bones", bewilderbeast. They provide a level of specificity and geographical placement that DNA can't. DNA reveals mostly broad patterns involving migrations, diseases, other environmental factors, and breeding encounters. Bones/fossils reveal use of fire and art, battles, specific diet, and anatomical evolution. ..................... Don't throw away your knife because you found a slingshot in your pocket.

IN RESPONSE:

pete_ess
Oct 7, 09 1:39 PM CDT

I'm going to keep my knife, chisel and hammer because it's fun digging around and finding stuff, BUT: I expect the mtDNA and male factor (what was it again) to reveal MUCH more than bones ever will. Too much guesswork with bones: Every single bones find "proves" the bias of whoever finds it! If dating gets better (and it will) then bones will get better.

IN RESPONSE:

pete_ess
Oct 7, 09 1:49 PM CDT

BTW: pete_ess = bewilderbeast. And that male factor: Y chromosome analysis

| 0 minutes ago

bewilderbeast
Sep 10, 09 5:26 AM CDT

And check this out: Fascinating! http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/ Reply

| 0 minutes ago

PrestoEnigma
Sep 10, 09 7:00 AM CDT

Thank you for not posting a misleading headline like another news site that had this information... Reply

| 0 minutes ago

peacenique
Sep 10, 09 9:40 AM CDT

there are those among us that never completed the evolution process [one of my neighbour, as a matter of fact] Reply

| 0 minutes ago

JoeQ
Sep 10, 09 2:13 PM CDT

Around 1300, Marco Polo described finding people with tails in a province on the island of Sumatra. No sign of them now. That's just west of Flores Island where they found the hobbits. The Australian aborigines apparently have tales of encounters with Neanderthals. I bet there are plenty of new things to be discovered about what genus homo has been up to in the last 6 million years. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

christisking
Sep 10, 09 6:03 PM CDT

Has anyone taken into account the flood that happened and the whole earth except noah, his immidiate family and there wives and the animals that he took were saved while the whole entire world was destroyed? Christ is king. He is coming back. Reply

-1

| 0 minutes ago

LiberalJesus
Sep 10, 09 7:07 PM CDT

Makes you wonder how those who truly think the world is 8000 years old square themselves with the scientific community. If I thought 2+2=yellow but the consensus was 4, I'd have to at least research what I believed just to make sure that I was right and yellow was the answer. I still think we came from goo-pods and Darth Vader is our lord but darn the luck I cant seem to build any consensus behind that one so I keep that thought to myself.....or used to..lol Reply

| 0 minutes ago

View all 51 comments »

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Skull Find Shakes Up Theories on Early Humanity

Remains found in Georgia suggest mankind's evolution had Eurasian chapter

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

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origins of humanity • Georgia • skull • human evolution • homo sapiens • hominids • Homo erectus

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Skull Find Shakes Up Theories on Early Humanity

Remains found in Georgia suggest mankind's evolution had Eurasian chapter

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Related Newser Stories

'Hobbit' Fossils Mesmerize Scientists

Number of supporters grow for 'distinct' hominid species theory

MORE ABOUT: fossil • hominids • Homo erectus • hobbits • Flores • Homo floresiensis

Skull Hints at Caveman Compassion

Skull suggests ancient humans cared for sick

MORE ABOUT: skull • human behavior • human evolution • prehistoric • prehistoric mammals

Female Hunters May Have Doomed Neanderthals

Study says feminist practices put the 'reproductive core' in harm's way

MORE ABOUT: feminism • human evolution • homo sapiens • Neanderthals

origins of humanity • Georgia • skull • human evolution • homo sapiens • hominids • Homo erectus

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

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from our news partners

Associated Press

About

Help

Tools

Site Maps

What is Newser?

'Hobbit'
Fossils
Mesmerize
Scientists

MORE ABOUT:
fossil • hominids • Homo erectus • hobbits • Flores • Homo floresiensis

Skull Hints
at Caveman
Compassion

MORE ABOUT:
skull • human behavior • human evolution • prehistoric • prehistoric mammals

MORE ABOUT:
feminism • human evolution • homo sapiens • Neanderthals