Overview

• Stone tools dated to about 1.4 million years ago found in western Ukraine may represent the earliest evidence of human ancestors in Europe.
• Researchers suggest the tools were likely made by Homo erectus, marking a significant east-to-west migration pattern.
• The discovery fills a critical gap in the understanding of early human migrations into Europe, previously evidenced only in Georgia and Western Europe.
• Advanced dating techniques, including cosmogenic nuclide dating, were used to determine the age of the tools and the sediment layer.
• The findings challenge traditional views on human dispersal and development, suggesting a more complex history of early human presence in Europe.