oldest modern human

Oldest modern human fossils found outside Africa Ewen Callaway The upper jaw and teeth, found in an Israeli cave, are thought to be the earliest evidence of Homo sapiens outside Africa.Credit: Israel Hershkovitz, Tel Aviv Univ.

An upper jaw and teeth found in Israel pre-date other human fossils from the same region by at least 50,000 years. They suggest that Homo sapiensmight have spread to the Arabian Peninsula around 180,000 years ago — much earlier than previously thought. But scientists say that it is unclear whether the fossils represent a brief incursion or a more-lasting expansion of the species.

Nature | 5 min read