2023-08-11 16:55:55
Prehistory
The cold drove man from Europe 1.1 million years ago
Researchers have found a drop in temperatures that would have forced our ancestors to flee the continent for 200,000 years.
PostedAugust 11, 2023, 6:55 PM
Des crânes d’Homo skillful, d’Homo erectus and d’Homo wise
imago images/Auscape/UIG
The earliest trace of human ancestry in Europe dates back 1.4 billion years, with the remains of Homo erectus having been found in Spain. It is believed that they were descendants of African populations, arriving in Europe via Southwest Asia. It was thought that humans never left this continent following that, but new research suggests that they did.
Researchers from the University of Busan in South Korea and the University of London analyzed marine sediments off the coast of Lisbon. The layers that are deposited there each year testify to the conditions of the sea as well as pollen grains provide information on the vegetation on land. They discovered that 1.1 million years ago the temperature dropped sharply by more than 5 degrees, according to the BBC.
freezing in winter
This implies winter temperatures that fell well below 0°C, even in the Mediterranean regions. “The first humans were not yet well adapted to cope with such extreme conditions, according to Professor Axel Timmermann, director of the research group. There is no direct evidence that they might even bend fire at that time. Consequently, the extremely cold and dry conditions in Europe and the corresponding lack of food must have greatly challenged human survival.
It remained to verify this theory with the experts of the first human settlements on the continent. It turned out that there is a gap in the discovery of human traces between 1.1 million years ago, with remains found in Spain, and 900,000 years ago, with tools and footprints found in England . According to scientists, 900,000 years ago, the great frost that lasted 200,000 years was over, but it was even colder than today. However, humans had obviously been able to adapt in the meantime to face such temperatures.
Driven to evolution
“This may have triggered evolutionary changes in humans, such as an increase in body fat as an insulator or an increase in hair,” British Museum Professor Nick Ashton told the BBC. It may also have led to technological developments such as improved hunting skills and abilities to create more effective clothing and shelter.”
Our species, Homo sapiens, evolved in Africa around 400,000 years ago and established itself in Europe around 42,000 years ago, briefly coexisting with Neanderthals before their extinction around 40,000 years ago.
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