Fragments of a partial skull unearthed in a cave in northern Spain have revealed a previously unknown population of ancient humans, according to new research.

A fossil of a partial face from a human ancestor is the oldest in western Europe, archaeologists reported Wednesday. The incomplete skull — a section of the left cheek bone and upper jaw – was found in northern Spain in 2022.

The fragmentary bones belong to Homo affinis erectus, an esoteric offshoot of our family tree that inhabited Spain more than one million years ago.

Scientists report that a fossil of a partial face from a early human ancestor in Spain is between 1.1 and 1.4 million years old.

Fragments of a partial skull unearthed in a cave in northern Spain have revealed a previously unknown population of ancient humans, according to new research.

Fragments of the left side of the skull of a human relative have been discovered in Spain, revealing the face of the oldest human ancestor ever discovered in Western Europe.