Fossils found in cave shed light on where our species emerged, traced to when Earth's magnetic field flipped
Updated on: January 8, 2026 / 6:53 AM EST / CBS/AFP
TL;DR
- New fossils from Casablanca, Morocco, dated to over 773,000 years ago, support the theory of Homo sapiens originating in Africa.
- The discovery fills a gap in the African fossil record, previously dominated by European fossils like Homo antecessor.
- The Moroccan fossils display a mix of primitive and advanced hominin features, suggesting early evolutionary divergence.
- The age of the fossils was precisely determined by dating them to the last reversal of Earth's magnetic field.
- The findings suggest the evolutionary split between Homo sapiens and their cousins may have occurred earlier than previously thought.
- Evidence of carnivore bite marks on a thigh bone suggests hominins in the area were preyed upon.