Fossil Skulls ‘Oldest Known Human Remains’

Two human skulls discovered in Africa have been confirmed as the oldest known examples of our species, scientists said yesterday.

The remains, unearthed in Kibish, Ethiopia, are estimated to be about 195,000 years old and come from around the time that modern humans are thought to have emerged.

The fossils, called Omo I and Omo II, were uncovered in 1967, but experts have previously disagreed over their ages.

Yesterday’s report, published in the journal Nature, shows that the two fossils were the same age and humankind’s oldest relics, despite the fact that Omo I’s features were distinctly more ‘modern’ than those of its companion.

Ian McDougall, of the Australian National University, and his colleagues examined the rate of decay of unstable isotopes of the element argon in the rocks in the Kibish Formation, where the specimens were found.

They also found the fossils were discovered above a layer of rocks composed of compacted volcanic ash dated to 196,000 years old, but below a layer dated at 104,000 years old.

Professor McDougall and his colleagues examined geological evidence found in the Kibish Formation and the history of the River Nile’s drainage basin during their research.

Their findings included that the deposition of each layer of the rock formation was probably very rapid and they concluded that the fossils were close to 196,000 years old.

The report said, ‘We suggest that hominid fossils Omo I and Omo II are relatively securely dated to 195,000 years old, plus or minus five thousand years, making Omo I and Omo II the oldest anatomically modern human fossils yet recovered.’

Previously, the oldest examples were thought to have been found in Herto, Ethiopia, and were dated between 154,000 and 160,000 years old.