Isreali archaeologists and international scientists have found that teeth from a prehistoric site near Rosh Ha'ayin bear a striking similarity to those of modern man and could be the earliest evidence of the existence of Homo sapiens, according to an article in Science Blog.
The group examined eight human teeth found in the Qesem Cave, a prehistoric site near Rosh Ha'ayin occupied as long as 400,000 years ago. The extreme age of the discovery calls into question conventional theories that modern man came from the African continent.
The team used CT and x-ray in its morphological analysis to determine the size and shape of the teeth. The findings will be published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. Similar discoveries have been made in ancient caves around Israel dating back more than 100,000 years ago.
Scientists believe that the findings reveal a great deal about the evolution of early man's behavior and transition to modern man. Previous discoveries within the cave such as evidence of regular fire usage, hunting, mining, and the sharing of meat support the theory.
Excavations at the cave are ongoing.
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