Our species might have reached Europe earlier than thought

[left-of-center2012]

“Scientists say human bones found in a Bulgarian cave indicate that our species came to Europe thousands of years earlier than previously thought”

Human bones from a Bulgarian cave suggest our species arrived in Europe thousands of years earlier than previously thought, sharing the continent much longer with Neanderthals.

Scientists found four bone fragments and a tooth that detailed radiocarbon and DNA tests show are from four Homo sapiens, the oldest of which is dated to about 46,000 years ago, according to two studies published Monday in the journals Nature and Nature Ecology & Evolution.

The previous oldest European human bone fragments were found in Romania. Efforts to date them ran into problems but they were likely from sometime around 40,000 years ago ...

It means that for about 7,000 years or so, humans and Neanderthals lived on the same continent, interacting a bit, but probably not often, said institute director Jean-Jacques Hublin, another study lead author. Neanderthals went extinct about 40,000 years ago.

https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/species-reached-europe-earlier-thought-70617668