Latest news with #HomoErectus
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
The grisly discovery that shows our ancestors ate children
Human ancestors ate small children 850,000 years ago, a gruesome discovery has shown. Archaeologists working at the Gran Dolina cave site in Burgos, northern Spain, found a human neck bone belonging to a child aged between two and four years old, with clear butchery marks. The vertebra was found with other bones and teeth belonging to Homo Antecessor, considered to be the last common ancestor of both Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals, and who lived between 1.2 million and 800,000 years ago. Although cannibalism is well documented in early humans, experts say it is unusual to find a child being eaten and it marks the earliest evidence of the practice found to date. The site of the marks on the neck bone suggests the youngster was decapitated. 'This case is particularly striking, not only because of the child's age, but also due to the precision of the cut marks,' said Dr Palmira Saladié, the co-director of the Gran Dolina excavation of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution. 'The vertebra presents clear incisions at key anatomical points for disarticulating the head. It is direct evidence that the child was processed like any other prey.' Other adult bones belonging to Homo Antecessor found at the site show evidence of defleshing marks and intentional fractures, similar to those found on animal bones consumed by humans. Experts say it suggests that 'early humans exploited their peers as a food resource' and may also have used cannibalism as a method of controlling territory. Homo Antecessor is the earliest human to move into Europe and was given the species name antecessor because it means 'pioneer' or 'early settler' in Latin. It was of stockier build than modern humans, with males ranging in height from 5.2ft to 5.9ft, but had some modern facial features, such as a hollowed cheekbones and a projecting nose, unlike earlier hominids. The earliest evidence of human cannibalism dates back to 1.45 million years where a butchered Homo Erectus bone was found in northern Kenya and it is likely the practice existed until relatively recently. Some archaeologists suggest that before formal burials, human populations would eat the dead as a funerary ritual. At Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, human skulls were found that appeared to have been used as cups, dating from 15,000 years ago. Gnawed human bones were also excavated from the same period. Experts believe that, during the Ice Age, cannibalism would have been a good way of finding food in tough times while also removing rival groups and ritually absorbing their power. Hundreds of stone tools have been discovered previously at Gran Dolina, as well as human bones showing evidence of human chewing. 'What we are documenting now is the continuity of that behaviour: the treatment of the dead was not exceptional, but repeated,' added Dr Saladié, a specialist in prehistoric cannibalism. 'Every year we uncover new evidence that forces us to rethink how our ancestors lived, how they died, and how the dead were treated nearly a million years ago.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Science
- Telegraph
The grisly discovery that shows our ancestors ate children
Human ancestors ate small children 850,000 years ago, a gruesome discovery has shown. Archaeologists working at the Gran Dolina cave site in Burgos, northern Spain, found a human neck bone belonging to a child aged between two and four years old, with clear butchery marks. The vertebra was found with other bones and teeth belonging to Homo Antecessor, considered to be the last common ancestor of both Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals, and who lived between 1.2 million and 800,000 years ago. Although cannibalism is well documented in early humans, experts say it is unusual to find a child being eaten and it marks the earliest evidence of the practice found to date. The site of the marks on the neck bone suggests the youngster was decapitated. 'This case is particularly striking, not only because of the child's age, but also due to the precision of the cut marks,' said Dr Palmira Saladié, the co-director of the Gran Dolina excavation of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution. 'The vertebra presents clear incisions at key anatomical points for disarticulating the head. It is direct evidence that the child was processed like any other prey.' Other adult bones belonging to Homo Antecessor found at the site show evidence of defleshing marks and intentional fractures, similar to those found on animal bones consumed by humans. Experts say it suggests that 'early humans exploited their peers as a food resource' and may also have used cannibalism as a method of controlling territory. Homo Antecessor is the earliest human to move into Europe and was given the species name antecessor because it means 'pioneer' or 'early settler' in Latin. It was of stockier build than modern humans, with males ranging in height from 5.2ft to 5.9ft, but had some modern facial features, such as a hollowed cheekbones and a projecting nose, unlike earlier hominids. The earliest evidence of human cannibalism dates back to 1.45 million years where a butchered Homo Erectus bone was found in northern Kenya and it is likely the practice existed until relatively recently. Some archaeologists suggest that before formal burials, human populations would eat the dead as a funerary ritual. At Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, human skulls were found that appeared to have been used as cups, dating from 15,000 years ago. Gnawed human bones were also excavated from the same period. Experts believe that, during the Ice Age, cannibalism would have been a good way of finding food in tough times while also removing rival groups and ritually absorbing their power. Hundreds of stone tools have been discovered previously at Gran Dolina, as well as human bones showing evidence of human chewing. 'What we are documenting now is the continuity of that behaviour: the treatment of the dead was not exceptional, but repeated,' added Dr Saladié, a specialist in prehistoric cannibalism. 'Every year we uncover new evidence that forces us to rethink how our ancestors lived, how they died, and how the dead were treated nearly a million years ago.'
Gizmodo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
New Theory Suggests Meat Preservation, Not Cooking, Drove Early Fire Use
Hundreds of thousands—if not over a million—years ago, humans discovered how to make fire. This would prove to be one of the most important advancements in prehistoric human development, but the origin of this vital discovery remains a contentious topic among scholars. In a study published last month in the journal Frontiers, researchers from Tel Aviv University proposed a new theory for what prompted humans to start making and controlling fires: to protect their food from animals, and, most notably, to extend the prehistoric shelf life of their meat through smoking and drying. In other words, prehistoric speck. The scientists claim to be the first to propose this hypothesis, which aligns with a broader theory they've been developing: that humans' consumption of large animals—and then smaller ones when the megafauna became extinct—drove important prehistoric developments. 'The origins of fire use is a 'burning' topic among prehistory researchers around the world. It is generally agreed that by 400,000 years ago, fire use was common in domestic contexts—most likely for roasting meat, and perhaps also for lighting and heating,' co-author Ran Barkai explained in a statement. 'However there is controversy regarding the preceding million years, and various hypotheses have been put forward to explain why early humans began using fire. In this study, we sought to explore a new perspective on the issue.' Before around 400,000 years ago, early humans such as Homo erectus used fire only occasionally, 'in specific places and for special purposes,' co-author Miki Ben-Dor explained. Starting and maintaining a fire was an arduous process that required a 'compelling, energy-efficient motive.' To investigate this motive, Barkai and Ben-Dor studied previous research on all known prehistoric sites with evidence of fire use from between 1.8 million and 800,000 years ago, amounting to nine locations. Their analysis revealed that all nine sites featured an abundance of large animal remains, including elephants, hippopotamuses, and rhinoceroses. 'From previous studies, we know that these animals were extremely important to early human diets and provided most of the necessary calories. The meat and fat of a single elephant, for example, contain millions of calories, enough to feed a group of 20–30 people for a month or more,' Ben-Dor said. A successfully hunted elephant or hippopotamus was 'a kind of meat and fat 'bank' that needed to be protected and preserved for many days since it was coveted not only by predators but also by bacteria.' The researchers' analysis of the nine prehistoric sites, combined with their calculations of the potential 'energetic advantage' of preserving large game and observations of modern hunter-gatherer societies, culminated in the idea that humans were motivated to make fire to both protect their meat 'banks' from other animals and to smoke and dry them for long-term preservation. Once humans adopted fire to serve these means, they may have also used it for cooking 'at zero marginal energetic cost,' Barkai added. In other words, fire was initially used to smoke and dry meat, and only later repurposed for cooking. The researchers say their approach backs a bigger theory they've been developing—one that sees major prehistoric changes as reactions to shifts in diet. Early on, that meant hunting big animals, but as those species dwindled, people started relying more on smaller game for food. While we already knew that ancient humans, including the iconic Ötzi the Iceman and ancient Native Americans in southwest Florida, were curing and smoking meats thousands of years ago, the researchers' new theory predates this approach by hundreds of thousands of years, and contextualizes it within one of the most important prehistoric human developments known to science.
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
To approve or not to approve: BE Toons
HighlightsNavigating approval hierarchies in advertising agencies is a challenge The struggle to maintain creative essence amid constant feedback persists Approval needs in agencies echo evolutionary survival instincts Cockroaches outlived dinosaurs, Homo Erectus outlived the flightless Dodo, and the need for approval is going to outlive humanity. And no, this is not merely about the psychological need for validation that is the subject of many a scientific study, but about the events that unfold in the confines of an advertising agency . The first instance appears when you step onto the shop floor for the first time - figuring out the people your supervisor approves of - this determines your circle of fellow inmates who will make up for watercooler revelations. Then comes the part where you actually sit down to do the work. All understanding of how to do a good job has to pass the filter of your supervisor, their boss, and the preferences of their boss's boss'. Because those are the number of stamps that your strategy/copy/artwork will need before it is finally presented to the client - which, when it happens, has another hierarchy of its own. Working on feedback and reworking the creative output is frustrating, taxing, tiring, and at times downright infuriating. Many people talk about how it almost feels like for every step we take forward, there is a pressure to take two steps back. Yet, we persist; because the magic lies in the essence of what the original idea was. And that is the very essence that experienced professionals know to keep alive. That is what the craft is all about–keeping the soul alive, while ensuring it survives all curveballs thrown at it. Don't you think? Cockroaches outlived dinosaurs, Homo Erectus outlived the flightless Dodo, and the need for approval is going to outlive humanity. And no, this is not merely about the psychological need for validation that is the subject of many a scientific study, but about the events that unfold in the confines of an advertising agency. The first instance appears when you step onto the shop floor for the first time - figuring out the people your supervisor approves of - this determines your circle of fellow inmates who will make up for watercooler revelations. Then comes the part where you actually sit down to do the work. All understanding of how to do a good job has to pass the filter of your supervisor, their boss, and the preferences of their boss's boss'. Because those are the number of stamps that your strategy/copy/artwork will need before it is finally presented to the client - which, when it happens, has another hierarchy of its own. Working on feedback and reworking the creative output is frustrating, taxing, tiring, and at times downright infuriating. Many people talk about how it almost feels like for every step we take forward, there is a pressure to take two steps back. Yet, we persist; because the magic lies in the essence of what the original idea was. And that is the very essence that experienced professionals know to keep alive. That is what the craft is all about–keeping the soul alive, while ensuring it survives all curveballs thrown at it. Don't you think so?
India.com
31-05-2025
- Science
- India.com
Scientists discover 140000-year-old lost city in..., its history will leave you in fear
Scientists discover 140000-year-old lost city in..., its history will leave you in fear Scientists around the world are constantly exploring the mysteries of the past, and a recent discovery near Indonesia's Java Island has revealed something fascinating. Over 6,000 fossils have been recovered from the ocean floor, including bones of the extinct human ancestor species, Homo erectus. This discovery suggests that there was an unknown population of Homo erectus living in Southeast Asia, possibly interacting with early modern humans. What makes this find even more unique is that it's the first time fossils have been unearthed from the sunken parts of the Indonesian archipelago. Around 140,000 years ago, sea levels were much lower, and islands like Java were connected to the Asian mainland through a region known as Sundaland. This region was rich with grasslands, rivers, and wildlife. Newly found fossils show that those rivers were home to fish, turtles, river sharks, and even hippos. On land, elephants, buffaloes, and a now-extinct elephant-like animal called stegodon roamed the area. Homo erectus likely lived and hunted in these fertile lands, particularly between Java and Madura islands, an area now submerged and known as the Madura Strait. Some of the fossils bear cut marks, indicating that early human relatives in this region hunted turtles and large animals. These marks provide the oldest known evidence of turtle hunting in Southeast Asia. Fossil clues also suggest that these early hominins hunted animals similar to modern cows. Interestingly, this type of hunting was more common among early modern humans living on the Asian mainland. This raises the possibility that Homo erectus may have learned these techniques from other human species they came into contact with. Who Were the Homo Erectus? Homo erectus holds a very important place in the story of human evolution. This ancient species appeared around 2 million years ago and was the first of our ancestors to have a body structure similar to modern humans. They were also the first human species to leave Africa and travel all the way to Southeast Asia. Along the way, other ancient human species like the Neanderthals and Denisovans also appeared in different parts of the world, including parts of Asia. However, scientists still don't know for sure how much interaction happened between these different species. According to research, Homo erectus lived on the Indonesian island of Java until about 117,000 to 108,000 years ago, after which they went extinct. Much later, around 77,000 years ago, our own species Homo sapiens arrived in Southeast Asia.
