The discovery of an adult Homo erectus specimen has confirmed its presence in South Africa 2 million years ago

A new fossil fragment from the Drimolen cave complex in South Africa has strengthened the case that Homo erectus was present in southern Africa around 2 million years ago. This is approximately 200,000 years earlier than the famous finds of adult Homo erectus from Dmanisi in Georgia, which date back to around 1.8 million years ago.

The researchers have described 18 previously unpublished hominin skull and jaw remains from the Drimolen Main Quarry. The study by Jesse Martin and colleagues has been published in the journal *Annals of Human Biology*.

Details

Drimolen is situated in South Africa’s ‘Cradle of Humankind’ region – one of the key areas for studying early hominin evolution. Many of the fossils found here since the 1990s remained scientifically undescribed for a long time.

The specimen DNH 127 is of particular significance. The researchers attribute it to Homo erectus and describe it as the first adult specimen of this species discovered at Drimolen. Previously, the early presence of Homo erectus at the site had been based primarily on DNH 134 — a fragment of a child’s skull belonging to a child aged approximately two to four years.

It was precisely the child’s age that created additional uncertainty when comparing morphology: the hominin skull changes noticeably as the individual matures. The new adult specimen provides an independent means of comparing characteristics and, according to the authors’ interpretation, further supports the attribution of the early remains from Drimolene to Homo erectus.

The stratum is approximately 2 million years old. The authors therefore regard the find as further confirmation of the very early appearance of Homo erectus in South Africa. By way of comparison, the adult Homo erectus remains from Dmanisi date back to approximately 1.8 million years ago.

However, the 18 finds described do not all belong to Homo erectus. A significant proportion belong to Paranthropus robustus — another hominin that lived in the same region. According to the researchers, the remains of Paranthropus robustus at Drimolen outnumber those of Homo erectus by more than ten to one.

A comparison of P. robustus from Drimolena, dating back around 2 million years, with material from Swartkrans, dating back around 1.8 million years, indicates changes in the structure of the teeth and the masticatory apparatus. The authors interpret these as evidence of microevolutionary changes: over time, the molars became larger, as did the structures associated with powerful masticatory muscles.

Thus, at roughly the same time, hominins with markedly different evolutionary trajectories co-existed in South Africa. Homo erectus is associated with an increase in brain size and a reduction in molar size, whilst P. robustus developed a robust masticatory apparatus.

Why this is important

The discovery is significant not because scientists have found a 2-million-year-old Homo erectus for the first time. The early juvenile specimen DNH 134 from Drimolen was already known. What is new is the discovery of a second specimen – an adult one – which provides additional morphological support for this interpretation.

This distinction is crucial for a cautious assessment of the findings. The authors regard DNH 127 as confirmation of the presence of Homo erectus in South Africa around 2 million years ago; however, a single new fossil does not in itself establish the species’ place of origin, nor does it prove that Homo erectus originated specifically in South Africa.

The study also provides a rare opportunity to observe changes in another hominin lineage — P. robustus — over a relatively short evolutionary span of approximately 200,000 years. Usually, fossil remains are so rare and separated by such long time intervals that it is considerably more difficult to trace such gradual changes.

Source

Phys.org: ‘Adult fossil strengthens evidence for Homo erectus in southern Africa 2 million years ago’, 30 September 2026.

Jesse M. Martin et al. ‘New hominin cranial and mandibular remains from Drimolen Main Quarry, South Africa’, Annals of Human Biology, 2026. DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2026.2725046.