Morocco: ancient fossils shed light on a key period in human evolution

By: Mohib Abderrahim, Institut national des Sciences de l'Archéologie et du Patrimoine in Rabat, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 27, 2026

Words: 1,152

Last Updated: 1 week, 5 days ago

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By Mohib Abderrahim, Institut national des Sciences de l'Archéologie et du Patrimoine in Rabat

Could a Moroccan cave hold a crucial piece of the puzzle of human origins? Hominin fossils dating back 773,000 years discovered in the country are bringing new evidence to the debate about the last common ancestor of present-day humans (Homo sapiens), Neanderthals and Denisovans. The discovery points to a long evolutionary history in north Africa, much earlier than modern Homo sapiens. It …

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