WorldWide Drilling Resource

From the Mine to the History Books Compiled by the Editorial Staff of WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Fossils recovered from an old mine on a desolate mountain in Morocco have impacted an established theory stating Homo sapiens arose from a cradle of humankind in East Africa 200,000 years ago. In 1961, miners searching for the mineral barite stumbled on a com- plete fossil skull at Jebel Irhoud, near Morocco’s west coast. With its big brain but primitive skull shape, the skull was initially assumed to be an African Neanderthal around 40,000 years old. In 2007, researchers pub- lished a date of 160,000 years based on radiometric dating of a human tooth, which suggested the fossil represented a lingering remnant of an archaic species. In fresh excavations at the Jebel Irhoud site, scientists found more remains, including a partial skull, a jawbone, teeth, and limb bones belonging to three adults, a juvenile, and a child about eight years of age. The remains, which resemble modern humans, were recovered from the base of an old limestone cave with a smashed roof from mining operations. Alongside the bones, researchers found sharpened flint tools, a good number of gazelle bones, and lumps of charcoal, perhaps left over from fires which warmed those who once lived in the cave. Scientists knew the remains were old, but were stunned when dating tests revealed the tooth and stone tools were about 300,000 years old, prompting the original skull from the same sediment layer to be redated to the same period. Jean-Jacques Hublin, a senior scientist on the team said, “When we found the skull and mandible, I was emotional. They are only fossils, but they have been human beings, and very quickly you make a connection with these people who lived and died here 300,000 years ago.” Researchers compared the freshly excavated fossils from Jebel Irhoud with those of modern humans, neanderthals, and ancient human relatives. The lower jaw was found to be similar to modern humans, but much larger. The most striking difference was the shape of the braincase, which was more elongated than humans today. The face’s clos- est match was with modern humans. Hublin said, “The face of the specimen we found is the face of someone you could meet on the tube in London.” According to the theory, East Africa has been thought to be the birthplace of modern humans. Until the latest findings from Jebel Irhoud, the oldest known remnants of the species were found at Omo Kibish in Ethiopia, and dated to 195,000 years old. Other fos- sils and genetic evidence in support of the theory also point to an African origin for mod- ern humans; however, the new findings could push the theory’s origin date back 100,000 years, while shifting the geographic focus to North Africa and across the entire continent. Scientists don’t have enough fossil evidence to hypothesize whether modern humans had spread to the four corners of Africa 300,000 years ago, but as new observations are made, the theory will continue to evolve with the findings. The spec- ulation from the new discovery is based on what scientists see as similar features in a skull dated to be 260,000 years old in Florisbad, South Africa. Hublin explained, “The idea is that early Homo sapiens dispersed around the continent and elements of human modernity appeared in different places, and so different parts of Africa con- tributed to the emergence of what we call modern humans today.” We have stainless steel and metal valves, as well as plastic cycle valves! For more info call: (800) 364-2124 or visit us online: www.barrettsupply.com Proudly made in the USA Sales rep territories available. 33 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® APRIL 2018 Composite reconstructions of a skull from the site based on scans of multiple original fossils, courtesy of Philipp Gunz, MPI EVA Leipzig. Some of the stone tools from the site, courtesy of Mohammed Kamal, MPI EVA Leipzi. June Issue Deadlines! Space Reservation: April 25 th Display & Classified Ad Copy: May 1 st