A set of fossils from the Homo sapiens lineage found near Casablanca, Morocco, and dated to about 773,000 years ago, is giving researchers a rare look at a moment before major human family lines fully split. The remains include jawbones with teeth and several vertebrae from at least two adults and a very young child, all recovered from a cave site known as Grotte à Hominidés at Thomas Quarry I.
The study, led by paleoanthropologist Jean-Jacques Hublin and published in Nature, argues that these early North African hominins sit close to the root of the population that later gave rise to Homo sapiens. The team says the fossils likely represent an evolved form of Homo erectus in Africa, but with a mix of features that hint at later human forms.
Researchers have long debated where, when, and from what population modern humans emerged. Genetic data show Neanderthals and Denisovans formed a Eurasian branch, while modern humans formed an African branch. But the fossil record has a stubborn gap in Africa for the period between roughly one million and 600,000 years ago, right when key lineages were taking shape. The Moroccan remains help fill that gap, the authors say.
Fossils found at a crucial crossroads in human evolution
The fossils come from sediment layers that also held Acheulean stone tools and a rich mix of animal bones. Many of those bones show signs of carnivore activity rather than butchery, leading the researchers to interpret parts of the cave deposit as a predator den, likely used by hyenas. That setting may help explain why the human remains ended up in the cave at all.
The site lies within a coastal formation shaped by repeated changes in sea level during the Pleistocene. Over time, marine sands, shoreline deposits, and continental sediments accumulated inside the cave, sealing fossils within a well-preserved geological sequence. This layered context allowed researchers to place the remains within a narrow time window.
Dating the site using Earth’s magnetic record
To pin down the age, the team relied heavily on magnetostratigraphy, which reads ancient changes in Earth’s magnetic field recorded in sediments. The fossils sit close to the Matuyama–Brunhes transition, a global magnetic reversal dated to about 773,000 years ago. The researchers report an age of around 773 ± 4 thousand years, placing the Moroccan individuals at a time when Africa’s hominin diversity remains poorly documented.
New research maps the position of 773,000-year-old hominin remains in a Moroccan cave, showing where jaws, teeth, vertebrae and a femur lay within sediments. The finds strengthen evidence that an early Homo sapiens lineage was present in Africa near a key evolutionary split. pic.twitter.com/1saQwRaLXU
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) January 8, 2026
Animal fossils recovered from the same layers support this early age. Several species are known from other North African sites dating to the boundary between the Early and Middle Pleistocene. Together, the geological and biological evidence strengthens confidence in the dating, the authors say.
The faunal remains also suggest that North Africa was not isolated during this period. Similarities with East and southern African animals indicate that grasslands expanded across the Sahara during wetter phases, allowing animals and early humans to move across the region.
Jawbones reveal a blend of ancient and emerging traits
The most informative fossils are the mandibles. One adult jaw is slender and nearly complete, preserving a worn but intact set of teeth. Another is more robust and fragmentary. The researchers describe a mix of traits seen in earlier Homo species alongside features more typical of later hominins.
Some aspects of the jaw shape resemble Homo erectus, while others point toward later lineages. The combination suggests gradual evolutionary change rather than a sudden appearance of modern human traits.
Teeth provide key clues to evolutionary links
The teeth offer especially strong evidence. Using 3D imaging, the team analyzed internal dental structures that tend to preserve evolutionary signals better than outer tooth surfaces. Several dental features fall closer to early and recent Homo sapiens than expected for fossils of this age.
Patterns in molar size and shape also differ from classic Homo erectus, aligning more closely with later human species. Researchers say this supports the idea that the Moroccan population occupied a position near the base of the Homo sapiens lineage.
Spinal remains add detail to the body structure
Eight vertebrae found beneath one mandible likely belonged to the same small-bodied adult. Their shape shows similarities to earlier Homo species, suggesting that while some facial and dental traits were becoming more derived, body anatomy remained relatively archaic.
These remains help flesh out what these early hominins looked like beyond the skull, a rare opportunity for fossils from this time period.
North Africa’s role in the human family tree
The researchers stop short of naming the Moroccan fossils as the direct ancestors of modern humans. Instead, they place them near the population split between African and Eurasian lineages. This position fits well with genetic studies that suggest Neanderthals and Denisovans branched off early from an African-rooted population.
Similarities with fossils from Spain raise the possibility of limited movement between North Africa and Europe, perhaps during wetter periods when sea crossings were easier. At the same time, differences between the regions show that populations were already diverging.
Evidence strengthens the case for African origins
Taken together, the findings reinforce the view that Homo sapiens emerged from a long and complex evolutionary process within Africa. The Moroccan fossils show that key features of the modern human lineage were present far earlier than once thought.
By capturing a moment close to the evolutionary split that shaped our species, the study highlights North Africa as a critical region for understanding human origins. Researchers say future discoveries from this time period may further clarify how and when modern humans emerged.
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