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Romanian Fossils Rewrite History: Hominins in Europe 500,000 Years Earlier

New Findings from Grăunceanu Fossil Site in Romania

Close-up of animal tibia bone showing anthropogenic cut marks, suggesting early hominin butchery techniques from 1.95 million years ago.

Researchers from Ohio University's Department of Sociology & Anthropology have uncovered evidence of hominin presence at Romania's Grvăunceanu fossil site, dating back at least 1.95 million years, redefining the timeline of European hominins by half a million years.

Grăunceanu Fossil Site: A Closer Look at the Environment

Grăunceanu, part of Romania's Tetoiu Formation, dates to the Late Villafranchian biochronological period (2.2–1.9 Ma) and contains diverse fauna indicative of a forest-steppe ecosystem.

The Uncertainty of Early Hominins Dispersals into Eurasia

The timing of early hominin dispersals into Eurasia has remained uncertain. Fossil evidence from Dmanisi, Georgia (~1.85–1.77 million years ago), marks the earliest confirmed presence of hominins outside Africa. While isolated European and Asian sites with lithics and bone modifications hint at earlier, sporadic hominin activity, no European site has conclusively shown evidence of hominin presence before ~1.4 million years ago with reliable age determinations.

Key Study Reveals Evidence of Early Hominin Activity

The study, "Hominin presence in Eurasia by at least 1.95 million years ago," published in Nature Communications, explored faunal remains from Grăunceanu in Romania's Oltet River Valley. Researchers identified cut marks that suggest hominin butchery methods.

Identifying Anthropogenic Surface Modifications

The study involved the examination of 4,524 specimens to identify surface modifications, including weathering, root etching and anthropogenic cut marks. Linear marks were analyzed both macroscopically and quantitatively using 3D optical profilometry.

Excavation at Grăunceanu fossil site in Romania, revealing evidence of hominin activity 1.95 million years ago.

High-Confidence Cut Marks Confirmed

Twenty bones displayed anthropogeenic surface modifications, with seven specimens exhibiting high-confidence cut marks. These marks, found on animal tibiae and mandibles, followed straight, transverse paths consistent with defleshing. Quantitative analysis confirmed their classification as cut marks, distinguishing them from damage caused by carnivores, trampling or excavation.

Establishing the Age of the Site

High-precision laser ablation U-Pb dating was applied to seven dentine sample from Grăunceanu and two from adjacent sites. The results revealed minimum depositional ages spanning from 2.01 ± 0.20 to 1.87 ± 0.16 million years, with an average of about 1.95 million years. This supports previous faunal biochronological estimates and establishes the site as the oldest known site of hominin activity in Europe.

Isotopic Analysis Reveals Climate Patterns

Isotopic analysis of oxygen and carbon ratios from a horse molar was conducted to reconstruct seasonal climate patterns. The results indicate a temperate woodland-grassland environment with higher seasonal rainfall compared to present-day levels. The presence of faunal remains, such as ostrich, pangolin and an extinct European monkey, suggests relatively mild winters despite the site's mid-latitude location.

Extending the Timeline of Hominin Presence in Europe

Grăunceanu provides new evidence of hominin activity in East-Central Europe as early as 1.95 million years ago, extending the timeline of their presence in the region and suggesting earlier dispersals into Eurasia.

Challenging Previous Views on Hominin Settlement

This discovery challenges the previous view that hominins first settled in Georgia, implying they exploited a wider range of environments much earlier than previously thought.

The Role of Warm-Adapted Species and Environmental Conditions

The presence of warm-adapted species like pangolins and ostriches, combined with isotope evidence pointing to substantial seasonal rainfall, implies that hominins may have dispersed during interglacial periods when environmental conditions were more hospitable.

Ecological Adaptability and Early Hominin Success

The discovery of such ancient hominins, adept at exploiting temperate and seasonal environments, highlights the species' early ecological adaptability, which facilitated numerous successful dispersals from Africa.

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"Uncover the Past and Stay Ahead in Human Evolution Research!"

The recent discovery at Romania's  Grăunceanu fossil site is rewriting the history of human migration. This incredible finding suggests that hominins were present in Europe over 500,000 years earlier than previously thought, adding new layers to our understanding of human evolution.

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