Hominids Sailed Hundreds of Thousands of Years Before Homo Sapiens
Research in the Quaternary International journal suggests that ancient hominids (early ancestors of Homo sapiens) crossed the Mediterranean half a million years ago—a staggering revelation that prompts reevaluation of our understanding of human development. There is widely accepted evidence that Homo erectus hominids migrated from the African continent and visited Aegan islands. Though it has long been believed this occurred during glacial periods that formed ice-bridges, the new study includes figures that demonstrate this to be unlikely. “Therefore, the Aegean land/seascape motivated the archaic hominin to develop the necessary cognitive capabilities such as spatial awareness way-finding strategies and sea-craft building,” according to the author. Read more about the timeline at Salon.
Image of Homo erectus skull found in Koobi Fora, Kenya, dated to ca. 1.8 million years old. (Smithsonian Natural History Museum, Washington, DC), courtesy of hj_west
Via salon.com link opens in a new window
