Ethiopian Fossils Called Oldest Human Remains

NEW YORK — A new analysis of bones unearthed nearly 40 years ago in Ethiopia has pushed the fossil record of modern humans back to nearly 200,000 years ago — perhaps close to the dawn of the species.

Researchers determined that the specimens are around 195,000 years old. Previously, the oldest known fossils of Homo sapiens were Ethiopian skulls dated to about 160,000 years ago.

Genetic studies estimate that Homo sapiens arose about 200,000 years ago, so the new research brings the fossil record more in line with that, said John Fleagle, an author of the study.

The fossils were found in 1967 near the Omo River in southwestern Ethiopia.

After visiting the discovery sites, analyzing their geology and testing rock samples with modern dating techniques, Fleagle and colleagues report in Thursday’s issue of the journal Nature that both specimens are 195,000 years old.