Rainforest discovery shows humans lived in Africa 150000 years ago

May 20, 2026

Reported by AI

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that early humans inhabited dense rainforests in West Africa around 150000 years ago. The finding more than doubles the previous estimate for such habitation on the continent. It challenges long-held assumptions about early human adaptability.

Researchers working at the Bété I site in present-day Côte d'Ivoire recovered stone tools and environmental data from layers buried deep beneath what is now tropical rainforest. Multiple dating methods placed the occupation at approximately 150000 years ago. Pollen samples and plant remains confirmed the area supported a humid forested environment rather than open grassland at the time of human activity.

Fossil discovery in Ethiopia shows early human relatives coexisted

Researchers have found fossil teeth in Ethiopia indicating that early Homo and an unknown Australopithecus species shared the landscape between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago. The discovery adds to evidence that human evolution involved multiple overlapping lineages rather than a single straight path.

Early humans used fire in South African cave 1.8 million years ago

June 24, 2026 Reported by AI

A new study has found evidence that early human ancestors carried fire into Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa as early as 1.79 million years ago. Researchers identified burned bones deep inside the cave using a new detection method.

Science

Study finds early primates evolved in cold North America

Science

Artefacts hint at cultural exchange between Neanderthals and humans

Science

North-western Neanderthals showed surprising genetic diversity

Humans returned to Britain 500 years earlier after ice age

New research indicates that humans repopulated the British Isles around 15,200 years ago, nearly 500 years earlier than previous estimates. The return coincided with a sharp rise in summer temperatures that transformed the landscape.

Dinosaur tracks from 132 million years ago discovered near Knysna

April 25, 2026 Reported by AI

Scientists have uncovered more than two dozen dinosaur tracks dating back 132 million years in a small rock outcrop near Knysna, South Africa. These footprints, the youngest known in southern Africa, indicate dinosaurs persisted in the region into the early Cretaceous Period. The discovery challenges previous gaps in the local fossil record following ancient lava flows.

July 05, 2026 07:48