An international team of anthropologists has discovered that the first migrants to leave Africa were not tall, broad-headed athletes as previously believed, but rather members of populations with more archaic features. A virtual reconstruction of one of the oldest skulls found in Ethiopia revealed that, 1.5 million years ago, alongside more advanced human forms, there existed beings morphologically similar to those discovered in the Georgian city of Dmanisi.

Rethinking Human Evolution

For a long time, paleontology was dominated by a linear model of evolution: primitive Homo habilis gradually evolved into tall, large-brained Homo erectus, who, thanks to their physical advantages, were able to spread across Eurasia. Classic finds from Kenya, such as the “Turkana Boy” skeleton (who may have stood up to 180 cm tall), supported this image. However, the discovery of the DAN5/P1 skull in Gona (Ethiopia) has cast doubt on this theory. The adult individual’s brain volume was less than 600 cubic centimeters—smaller than that of modern chimpanzees—contradicting the idea that a developed intellect and large body were necessary for migration.

Virtual Reconstruction and Analysis

The authors of the study, published in Nature Communications, reconstructed the appearance of the skull, which was found in scattered fragments. Using microtomography, they scanned parts of the upper jaw and cheekbones, then digitally reassembled the skull using anatomical markers and mirrored preserved sections. The resulting 3D model was compared with morphological data from dozens of other fossil hominids.

The analysis revealed a mosaic nature in the find: the occipital and cranial vault of DAN5/P1 displayed typical Homo erectus features, but the face remained flat and short, and the teeth were unexpectedly large, resembling those of more ancient habilines. Most importantly, the closest relatives of the Ethiopian “dwarf” were not the tall neighbors from Kenya, but the people from Dmanisi (Georgia)—the earliest known inhabitants of Eurasia descended from the ancestors of modern humans.

A New Understanding of Migration and Evolution

The study’s results demonstrate that the evolution of Homo erectus was not a linear process of constant improvement. 1.5 million years ago in East Africa, there were different groups of humans: some rapidly increased in size, while others retained small stature and archaic traits. The data suggest that it was this second, more primitive group that became the first wave of migrants to leave the African continent.