Accra, Jan. 8, GNA – Human fossils discovered in a cave at the Thomas I quarry near Casablanca have provided new insights into a critical phase of human evolution dating back about 773,000 years, scientists have announced.
The findings, made under a long-standing Moroccan–French scientific collaboration, fill a major gap in Africa’s fossil record and highlight the central role of North Africa in early human history.
Morocco’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication announced the discovery following the publication of a study on January 7, 2026, in the scientific journal Nature.
The research was conducted within the framework of the Prehistory of Casablanca programme, a partnership between Morocco’s National Institute of Archaeological Sciences and Heritage (INSAP) and France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, through the French archaeological mission “Casablanca”.
According to the study, the fossil material includes several human mandibles from two adults and one child, along with dental and post-cranial remains.
Morphological analysis shows a distinctive combination of archaic traits similar to those of Homo erectus, together with more advanced features seen in later human forms.
Researchers said one of the most important aspects of the study was the precise dating of the fossils. Using high-resolution magnetostratigraphic analysis, they identified the Matuyama–Brunhes geomagnetic reversal in the site’s sediments, dated to about 773,000 years ago. This provides one of the most reliable ages ever established for a human fossil site in Africa.
The fossils represent human populations that are still poorly understood from this key evolutionary period, which lies between early members of the genus Homo and later human lineages.
Scientists noted that the age of the remains coincides with genetic estimates for the divergence between the African lineage that led to Homo sapiens and Eurasian lineages that later produced Neanderthals and Denisovans.
The unique mix of primitive and derived traits observed in the Casablanca fossils suggests close links to this major evolutionary split, offering an important reference point for understanding the emergence of modern humans.
Beyond their scientific value, the discoveries reaffirm the deep African origins of humanity and underscore the significant, though long underappreciated, role of North Africa in human evolution.
The “Hominid Cave” at the Thomas I quarry is now regarded as a key reference site for research into early human populations on the African continent.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade