00:00200,000 years. That is how much earlier a human ancestor may have appeared than scientists
00:05expected. Researchers analyzed 18 fossils from the Dromolan main quarry near Johannesburg,
00:11South Africa. The site sits in the Cradle of Humankind region and has produced more than
00:16100 fossil fragments. One fossil, called DNH 127, is attributed to Homo erectus. 14 of the
00:23fossils are linked to a different species, Paranthropus robustus. About 2 million years
00:29ago, Paranthropus robustus outnumbered Homo erectus at Dromolan by more than 10 to 1. The new work
00:36confirms Homo erectus was already there much earlier than thought, pushing its emergence back by about
00:41200,000 years. An earlier skull fragment, DNH 134, had pointed to the same timeline, but it belonged to
00:49a young child, which made comparisons with adults difficult. The adult fossil helps close that gap.
00:55The findings were published in Annals of Human Biology. The fragments are small, and researchers
01:01say the presence of both species this far back needs further investigation. Disclosure. This
01:07video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
