Tooth found in Granada said to be earliest evidence of humans in Western Europe

A milk tooth discovered in Granada has been declared the earliest known human remain ever found in Western Europe.

The tooth found in Cave of Orce [Credit: Olive Press]

The infants tooth was unearthed in the Cave of Orce and is believed to be 1.4 million years old.

Archaeologists believe the tooth came from a Homo erectus or Homo habilis which correlates with another discovery in the cave.

In 1983, Catalan archaeologist Josep Gibert visited the cave and found a skull fragment belonging to what he dubbed the Orce Man.

Although Gibert’s 1.3 million dating was strongly contested at the time, some scientists believe the new discovery could be a direct ancestor of the Orce Man.

The late Gibert’s son, Luis, now hopes to visit the cave himself if he can obtain a license to dig in the area.

Source: The Olive Press [March 09, 2013]