'Nesher Ramla Homo': Remains of previously unknown ancient human unearthed in Israel

Israeli researchers on June 24 identified a previously unknown type of ancient human that lived alongside our species more than 100,000 years ago. According to a study published in the journal Science, the archaeologists believe that the remains uncovered near the city of Ramla represent one of the “last survivors” of a very ancient human group. They revealed that the finds consist of a partial skull and jaw from an individual who lived between 140,000 and 120,000 years ago. 

The scientists have named the newly discovered lineage the "Nesher Ramla Homo type". The team members believe that the individual descended from an earlier species that may have spread out of the region hundreds of thousands of years ago and given the rise to Neanderthals in Europe and their equivalents in Asia. They said that the discovery reshapes the story of human evolution, particularly those of the Neanderthals. 

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Further, the archaeological team thinks that early members of the Nesher Ramla Homo group were already present in the Near East some 400,000 years ago. The researchers have noticed resemblances between the new finds and ancient “pre-Neanderthal” groups in Europe. While speaking to BBC, Dr Rachel Sarig, from Tel Aviv University, said that this is the first time that the researchers could connect the dots between the different specimens found in the Levant. 

Interaction between archaic humans and Homo sapiens 

According to the study, the Nesher Ramla remains themselves were found in what used to be a sinkhole, located in an area frequented by prehistoric humans. The researcher said that the area may have been where they hunted for wild cattle, horses and deer, as indicated by thousands of stone tools and bones of hunted animals. As per Dr Yossi Zaidner’s analysis, these tools were constructed in the same manner that modern humans of the time also made their implements.

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Zaidner, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said that it was a “surprise” that archaic humans were using tools normally associated with Homo sapiens. He said that this suggests that there were interactions between the two groups. Further, he added that he thinks that it is only possible to learn how to make the tools through visual or oral learning. “Our findings suggest that human evolution is far from simple and involved many dispersals, contacts and interactions between different species of human," Zaidner said.