ARCHAEOLOGY The oldest human remains found in France, an old tooth 560,000 years has been discovered in Cave Tautavel near Perpignan …
Archaeology in the headlines, even in summer, it is a rarity; more reason to understand what it is. While the recent discovery in Tautavel near Perpignan, a human tooth 560,000 years old, hits the headlines, 20 Minutes addresses three key issues to understand the interest of the find – but also its limitations.
Who owns the tooth?
If we talk about the individual, the worn look of this lower right incisor suggests it belonged a man or woman of 25 or 30 years (elderly, for the time). Another tooth, a lower left incisor, as old and rediscovered last year but the find was more discreet, could belong to the same individual. If we talk about the case, the tooth is a residue of Homo heidelbergensis , which is a European hominid ancestor of Neanderthal Man. “Some think it was also present in Asia and Africa, tells us from the Research Centre Tautavel Tony Knight of the University of Perpignan. And in this case, it could have Neanderthal on our continent, and Homo sapiens in Africa. “What is currently a guess, but stresses the importance of the study of Homo heidelbergensis .
What does it learns
The main advantage of this tooth is back in time it does make for researchers, brought back 100,000 years compared to the oldest human remains from the site of Tautavel. “With this tooth, we approach the beginning of Homo heidelbergensis in Europe, explicit Tony Knight. Now we can complete our knowledge of this species, whose origin is poorly understood. “Especially since the cave Tautavel has a double interest: reveal the anatomy of these prehistoric men, but also their environment, thanks to the numerous animal remains and tools found near human fossils. And understand the evolution hundreds of thousands of years of this species is to learn more about the appearance of our cousin Neanderthal – even if one assumes that heidelbergensis has Africa also on ours
What are its limits
“I would not say that finding a single tooth is a major discovery, unfortunately”.?: this lack of enthusiasm , obtained by AFP, comes from the British paleoanthropologist Matthew Skinner. And it is true that a tooth, that’s fine, but a lower incisor is rather average. “An upper incisor or premolar would have delivered more information, sorry Tony Knight. What would be great would be to find in these levels of seniority, a mandible, or even a skull. “Even a humerus or femur, why not: any more bones speaking this incisive and comparable to younger remains, would delight the researchers. These recent discoveries are at least a hope: if two teeth were unearthed in a year, other bones could follow
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