Spanish scientists have discovered the oldest human remains in Western Europe. The remains are reported to be between 1.1 and 1.4 million years old.

Located in the Atapuerca region, near the city of Burgos in northern Spain, the oldest human remains in Western Europe, estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.4 million years old, have been found.

In an article published in the journal Nature by Spanish scientists working in Atapuerca, it was reported that the fossilized facial bones, dated back to 1.1 to 1.4 million years ago, correspond to a new species of human classified as ‘Homo affinis erectus’ in Europe. Scientists noted that this finding indicates the presence of at least two species in Western Europe during the early Pleistocene period.

Until now, the oldest human species in Western and Central Europe was known as ‘Homo antecessor,’ but with this discovery, it is stated that the first species to reach the European continent was ‘Homo affinis erectus’.