Adult Homo erectus fossil confirms species appeared in Africa 2 million years ago

The fossils were excavated at the Drimolen Main Quarry, part of South Africa’s ‘Cradle of Humankind’. Researchers have described 18 previously unpublished hominin fossils from the Drimolen Main Quarry in South Africa, including a fossil from an adult Homo erectus dated to 2 million years ago. The finding is 200,000 years older than other known adult Homo erectus fossils found elsewhere in the world.The fossils were excavated at the Drimolen Main Quarry, part of South Africa’s ‘Cradle of Humankind’. The site is one of the richest deposits of human ancestors in the world. Although the site was discovered in 1992 and fossils were excavated there until 2019, many of the fossils had not been published and were therefore unknown to science.La Trobe University archaeologists, along with researchers from South Africa and the United States, have now described 18 more fossils from the site. The fossils have been attributed to two hominin species, Homo erectus and Paranthropus robustus.Among them is the first fossil from an adult Homo erectus identified at Drimolen. The researchers say it provides further confirmation that the species first appeared in southern Africa about 2 million years ag...