Professor Avi Gopher, the Institute of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University, shows an old tooth found in an archaeological site near Rosh Haain, in central Israel, archaeologists
Israeli officials said on Monday that found perhaps the earliest evidence so far of the existence of modern man and, if so, the discovery could alter theories about the origin of humans.
The team from the University of Tel Aviv digging in a cave near the center of Israel said teeth found within it are about 400,000 years of existence and are similar to those of other remains of modern man, known scientifically as Homo sapiens, found in Israel. The remains of Homo sapiens oldest found so far are half old.
"It's exciting to reach this conclusion," said Avi Gopher archaeologist, whose team examined the teeth and X-ray computed tomography The date according to the strata of earth where they were found.
The specialist said that more research is needed to strengthen the claim. If it turns out well, he said, "this changes the whole picture of evolution."
accepted scientific theory is that Homo sapiens originated in Africa and migrated out of Africa. Gopher said that if the remains are linked definitively to the ancestors of modern humans, it could mean that it actually originated in what is now Israel.
Sir Paul Mellars, an expert in prehistory at the University of Cambridge, said the study is accredited, and that the discovery "is important" because there are few traces of that crucial period, but it is premature to say that the remains are human .
"Based on the evidence we have found, is a very faint possibility rather remote and quite frankly," said Mellars. He noted that it is more likely that the remains are related to the ancient relatives of modern humans, Neanderthals.
Under current accepted scientific theories, modern humans and Neanderthals came from a common ancestor that lived in Africa about 700,000 years. A group of descendants migrated to Europe and became the Neanderthals, who subsequently became extinct. Another group remained in Africa and evolved into Homo sapiens, modern humans.
teeth often are unreliable indicators of origin, and analysis of cranial remains would identify more fully the species found in Israeli cave, he said Mellars.
The prehistoric cave of Qesem was discovered in 2000 and excavations began in 2004. Researchers Gopher, Ran Barkai and Israel Hershkowitz published their study in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.
By Daniel Estrin
on Monday December 27, 2010.
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