Scientists have created a digital reconstruction of the face of a person who lived approximately 315,000 years ago in what is now Morocco. To do so, they used fossilized remains found at the Jebel Irhoud archaeological site. LRT reports this, citing ScienceAlert, writes UNN.
Details
The reconstruction makes it possible to imagine the appearance of some of the earliest known representatives of Homo sapiens. The reconstructed face has distinctive features and a massive jaw.
According to 3D designer Cicero Moraes, such a person might hardly stand out in a modern crowd. However, upon closer examination, their unusual facial features would be noticeable.
How scientists reconstructed the face of a person from the distant past
The first skull at Jebel Irhoud was discovered back in the early 1960s. Further excavations led to the discovery of other human remains and stone tools.
These finds changed perceptions of the origins of Homo sapiens, pushing the known history of our species approximately 100,000 years further into the past.
Since the researchers did not have a complete skull, they created a digital model from several fossils. The skull "Irhoud 1" served as the basis, while the missing parts, including the lower jaw and teeth, were reconstructed using other remains.
After that, the specialists used a computed tomography scan of a modern adult to model the facial soft tissues on the ancient skull.
The scientists presented two versions of the reconstruction: a black-and-white version without hair and a color version with hair, a beard, and skin tone.
At the same time, the researchers emphasize that the image is not an exact portrait of a specific person. It was created based on the remains of several individuals, while the actual skin and hair color and the characteristics of the soft tissues remain unknown.