A discovery in Spain has brought us closer to unravelling the mystery of human origins
Three small fragments of an ancient human skull, found at Atapuerca in Spain, have helped scientists gain a better understanding of one of the most important stages in human evolution. Research has shown that the skull structure of Homo antecessor combines features of both more ancient humans and modern humans with those of Neanderthals, making this species one of the key candidates for the role of a close relative of their common ancestor.
Researchers examined three fragments of the parietal bone from adult specimens of Homo antecessor, discovered in the Gran Dolina cave in the Atapuerca Mountains (Spain).
Computed tomography was used for the analysis, which enabled the three layers of the skull bone to be measured separately: the outer table, the cancellous layer and the inner table.
This is the first study in which the skull structure of this ancient species has been compared with that of other members of the genus Homo in such detail.
Details
The overall thickness of the Homo antecessor skull bones was found to be comparable to that of modern humans and Neanderthals. However, it is noticeably thinner than that of Homo erectus and other more ancient human species.
The thickest layer in all the specimens examined was the cancellous bone tissue — a feature also observed in modern humans and Neanderthals.
At the same time, certain structural details differed: the outer layer of the bone was found to be relatively thinner, whilst the inner layer was thicker.
Why this is important
Scientists believe that Homo antecessor possesses what is known as ‘mosaic anatomy’ — a combination of primitive and more modern features.
The new findings complement existing data and support the hypothesis that this ancient species was very close to the evolutionary lineage from which Neanderthals and modern humans later emerged.
However, the authors emphasise that it is still too early to draw definitive conclusions: few remains have been found so far, and every new discovery could alter our understanding of this species’ evolution.
Source
Study: Rafael Gallareto-Sande et al. Parietal thickness and Homo antecessor: A description of three new fragments from Gran Dolina, Atapuerca, Spain.
Journal: Journal of Human Evolution (2026).