Oldest known human fossil outside Africa discovered in Israel

Human ancestors left Africa far earlier than previously thought, discovery of prehistoric jawbone and tools suggest

A prehistoric jawbone discovered in a cave in Israel has prompted scientists to rethink theories of how the earliest human pioneers came to populate the planet, suggesting that our ancestors left Africa far earlier than previously thought.

The fossil, dated to nearly 200,000 years ago, is almost twice as old as any previous Homo sapiens remains discovered outside Africa, where our species is thought to have originated.