News Anthropology

Finger fossil puts people in Arabia at least 86,000 years ago

A desert discovery builds the case for humans’ early departure from Africa

Finger fossil

ARABIAN POINTER  A human finger fossil found in a Saudi Arabian desert dates to between 95,000 and 86,000 years ago, researchers say. This find, shown here from different angles, strengthens the view that ancient humans expanded into Asia via Arabia.

Ian Cartwright

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

A single human finger bone from at least 86,000 years ago points to Arabia as a key destination for Stone Age excursions out of Africa that allowed people to rapidly spread across Asia.