News Anthropology

Homo sapiens bones in East Africa are at least 36,000 years older than once thought

Volcanic ash dating pushes back the age of human fossils found in Ethiopia to 233,000 years ago

image of a reconstructed skull from the Omo site

Dark areas in this reconstruction of a Homo sapiens skull represent fossils found more than 50 years ago at Ethiopia’s Omo site. A new analysis pushes back the age of these finds to around 233,000 years ago.

The Natural History Museum/Alamy Stock Photo

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

Fossils from the oldest known Homo sapiens individual in East Africa are more ancient than previously thought.