1.2 million year old European human unearthed

(Picture courtesy of BBC News)

Scientists have discovered the oldest human remains in western Europe.

A jawbone and teeth discovered at the famous Atapuerca site in northern Spain have been dated between 1.1 and 1.2 million years old.

Scientists also found stone tools and animal bones with tell-tale cut marks from butchering by humans.

Its small size suggests it could have belonged to a female.

The finds provide further evidence for the great antiquity of human occupation on the continent, the researchers write in the journal Nature.

Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com