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A one-million-year-old Homo cranium from the Danakil (Afar) Depression of Eritrea

Author

Listed:
  • Ernesto Abbate

    (Università di Firenze)

  • Andrea Albianelli

    (Università di Firenze)

  • Augusto Azzaroli

    (Museo di Storia Naturale, Sezione di Geologia e Paleontologia, Università di Firenze)

  • Marco Benvenuti

    (Università di Firenze)

  • Berhane Tesfamariam

    (Eritrea National Museum)

  • Piero Bruni

    (Università di Firenze)

  • Nicola Cipriani

    (Università di Firenze)

  • Ronald J. Clarke

    (Palaeo-Anthropology Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School)

  • Giovanni Ficcarelli

    (Università di Firenze)

  • Roberto Macchiarelli

    (Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico L. Pigorini, Sezione di Antropologia)

  • Giovanni Napoleone

    (Università di Firenze)

  • Mauro Papini

    (Università di Firenze)

  • Lorenzo Rook

    (Università di Firenze)

  • Mario Sagri

    (Università di Firenze)

  • Tewelde Medhin Tecle

    (Ministry of Energy, Water and Mineral Resources)

  • Danilo Torre

    (Museo di Storia Naturale, Sezione di Geologia e Paleontologia, Università di Firenze)

  • Igor Villa

    (Mineralogisches Institut, Universität Bern)

Abstract

One of the most contentious topics in the study of human evolution is that of the time, place and mode of origin of Homo sapiens1,2,3. The discovery in the Northern Danakil (Afar) Depression, Eritrea, of a well-preserved Homo cranium with a mixture of characters typical of H. erectus and H. sapiens contributes significantly to this debate. The cranium was found in a succession of fluvio-deltaic and lacustrine deposits and is associated with a rich mammalian fauna of early to early-middle Pleistocene age. A magnetostratigraphic survey indicates two reversed and two normal magnetozones. The layer in which the cranium was found is near the top of the lower normal magnetozone, which is identified as the Jaramillo subchron. Consequently, the human remains can be dated at ∼1 million years before present.

Suggested Citation

  • Ernesto Abbate & Andrea Albianelli & Augusto Azzaroli & Marco Benvenuti & Berhane Tesfamariam & Piero Bruni & Nicola Cipriani & Ronald J. Clarke & Giovanni Ficcarelli & Roberto Macchiarelli & Giovanni, 1998. "A one-million-year-old Homo cranium from the Danakil (Afar) Depression of Eritrea," Nature, Nature, vol. 393(6684), pages 458-460, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:393:y:1998:i:6684:d:10.1038_30954
    DOI: 10.1038/30954
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