Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery that could add some new and important details to the story of human evolution. Fossilized facial bones found on Spain’s Iberian Peninsula suggest the presence of an ancient human species that lived in Western Europe up to 1.4 million years ago, long before modern humans set foot on the European continent.
The ancient remains were found in 2022 inside the Sima del Elefante cave in Burgos, Spain, which is part of the greater Atapuerca archaeological site. Only recently was the analysis of these incredibly old hominin bones been completed, and the results of this study have been published in a new article appearing in the journal Nature.
The individual whose facial skeleton has been recovered, who the discoverers have nicknamed "Pink," walked the lands of Iberia more than a million years before Homo sapiens, who only arrived in great numbers in Europe approximately 45,000 years ago.
Nevertheless there is a relationship, as the scientists know Pink belonged to an ancient lineage of early humans. The structure of the fossilized bones differs significantly from previously discovered hominin fossils found in the region, raising the possibility that Pink represents an entirely new species, undetected until now.
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From the Dark Side of Prehistory, More than One Million Years in the Past
The remains recovered from inside Sima del Elefante consist of several broken bone fragments and parts of two teeth, making them the oldest human facial bones ever discovered in Western Europe. Scientists named the individual "Pink" in reference to the album Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd (in Spanish the album’s Spanish title, La cara oculta de la luna, translates to "The Hidden Face of the Moon," with "cara oculta" meaning "hidden face)."
Scenes from the excavations that produced the fossilized facial remains plus stone tools and animal bones at Sima del Elefante cave. (Maria D. Guillén/IPHES-CERCA).
To determine the age of Pink’s remains, researchers analyzed thousands of animal fossils found within the same stratigraphic layer, alongside evidence of shifts in Earth's magnetic field detected through the study of the geological record. These dating methods determined that the individual had lived Pink’s existence between 1.1 and 1.4 million years ago, which is a stunning result since all the other hominin remains recovered in the area were much younger.
Initially, researchers suspected that the remains might belong to Homo antecessor, a human species known to have lived in the area up to 860,000 years ago. However, a closer analysis revealed striking differences between Pink and this hominin. Pink’s facial structure more closely resembles that of Homo erectus, an early human species that first appeared in Africa around two million years ago. Homo erectus is notable for being the first hominin to walk upright in a modern fashion, and it was the first to use basic stone tools.
Study co-author Dr. María Martinón, director of the National Center for Research on Human Evolution (CENIEH) in Burgos, explained the distinct differences between Pink and Homo antecessor in an interview with the Daily Mail.
"Homo antecessor shares with Homo sapiens a more modern-looking face and a prominent nasal bone structure, whereas Pink’s facial features are more primitive, resembling Homo erectus, particularly in its flat and underdeveloped nasal structure," she noted.
These distinctions suggest that Pink may belong to a much older branch of the human evolutionary tree, possibly representing one of the earliest hominin species to reach Western Europe (if not Homo erectus, then a close relative of Homo erectus perhaps).
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Homo erectus was the first known human species to develop an upright gait similar to that of modern humans. This species also demonstrated the ability to craft and use stone tools. Having emerged in Africa around two million years ago, Homo erectus spread into Asia and even parts of Eastern Europe. Fossil evidence from Georgia suggests that members of this species had reached the region as early as 1.8 million years ago.
A reconstruction of the face of an adult female Homo erectus. (Tim Evanson/CC BY-SA 2.0).
However, evidence of hominin presence in Western Europe before 800,000 years ago has been scarce. Prior to Pink’s discovery, only a single tooth and a few stone tools dated to 1.4 million years ago had been found in Spain, along with a jawbone from Sima del Elefante dating to 1.1 million years ago. While Homo erectus being in Georgia in the same general time period is suggestive, Spain and Georgia are separated by more than 2,000 miles as the crow flies, and farther along navigable land routes.
Homo Erectus, or Something Else?
Alongside Pink’s remains, researchers discovered quartz and flint stone tools, as well as animal bones bearing clear cut marks. These findings indicate that Pink’s “people” were proficient in butchering animals for meat, a characteristic associated with Homo erectus.
Although Pink shares similarities with Homo erectus, researchers are not entirely convinced that this individual belongs to the same species. While the skull structure is comparable, Pink’s facial features are narrower than those of Homo erectus specimens found in Africa and Asia. Given the limited fossil evidence—only fragments of bone and two worn teeth—scientists have not yet classified Pink as a completely new species, despite the strong possibility of that being true.
At this time, the research team has designated Pink as Homo affinis erectus, incorporating the Latin term "affinis" to indicate a connection to Homo erectus ,while allowing for the possibility that Pink represents a separate lineage.
"The evidence is still insufficient for a definitive classification, which is why we adopted the name Homo affinis erectus,” Dr. Martinón explained.
Revising the Story of Human Evolution and Migration to Europe
Researchers believe that Pink’s species, whatever it might have been, was likely among the first hominins to migrate into Western Europe. However, this early population appears to have disappeared suddenly. Leaving only faint traces of its presence in the archaeological record. Studies suggest that around 1.1 million years ago, a drastic climate shift may have wiped out any hominin groups living in the Iberian Peninsula at that time.
In the incredibly distant past, Sierra de Atapuerca region was a diverse and resource-rich environment, featuring wooded areas, wetlands, and seasonal water sources. Yet, climatic changes might have created conditions too harsh for early humans to survive, possibly explaining the long gap in the fossil record between Pink’s era and later Homo antecessor remains.
The area of the Sierra de Atapuerca surrounding Sima del Elefante cave in Burgos, Spain. (Maria D. Guillén/IPHES-CERCA).
Dr. Eudald Carbonell, a paleontologist from the University of Rovira i Virgili and co-director of the research project, emphasized the significance of this most unique discovery.
"Evidence for different hominin populations in Western Europe during the Early Pleistocene suggests that this region was a key point in the evolutionary history of the genus Homo,” he stated.
The discovery of Pink’s remains provides new insights into the early human occupation of Europe. Whether Pink represents an entirely new species or an early member of Homo erectus, this find pushes back the timeline of human presence in Western Europe and raises fresh questions about the migrations and adaptations of our ancient ancestors. As scientists continue to analyze the evidence, Pink’s apparently anomalous presence may lead to a serious revision of consensus views on human evolution.
Top image: Original fossil of ancient facial bone found in Sima del Elefante cave, alongside a 3-D image.
Source: Maria D. Guillén/IPHES-CERCA/Elena Santos/CENIEH.
By Nathan Falde
