What is the earliest evidence of human life?

Question

They find fossilized people and all that - what's the oldest one?

Answer 1

The oldest evidence of Homo sapiens (not pre-human), was found in the Omo Valley in Kenya, and carbon-dated to 195,000 years ago. This specimen had the same DNA as we do today. All other fossilized evidence found before that, would not qualify as the modern humans that we are today!

Answer 2

The famous 3.5 Million year old Laetoli Footprints.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/librar...

It could be human or the Australopithecus and us share the same.....feet.

Answer 3

If you are looking just at our own species, Homo sapiens sapiens, the DNA evidence is that we originated in Africa about 200,000 years ago.  The oldest fossils date to 130,000 years ago and were found in Africa.

Answer 4

I am looking forward to the day when we find the evidence that supports the fact that Australian Aboriginals are the first homosapiens to walk this planet and we all orginate from Australia.

Sandy (gumbayngrrii/dungutti clans)

Answer 5

it's a skull found in South Africa called "Nancy", about 3.5 million years history. she was the earliest biped primate found in archeaology

Answer 6

It's a fossilised sandal with a small Trilobite attached to the heel. It was found in rock over 500 million years old in1968, not in Africa but in Utah, USA.

So much for the out of Africa theory.

Answer 7

It depends on what you define as "human".  

If you define it as simply hominids, you are talking about 4.5 MYA, more or less.  

If you are talking about the first remains classified as in the genus Homo, then you are talking about 2.5 MYA, more or less.

If you are talking about H. sapiens, then you are talking about 130,000 years ago more or less.  If you count Neandertal as H. sapiens (as I do), then you are talking about 200,00 years ago, more or less.

wl

Answer 8

The earliest human fossil found is Australopithecus afarensis. It is dated at 3.6-3.8 million years old and was discovered in 1974 in Tanzania by Mary Leakey.

Answer 9

The oldest one is the Australian aboriginal . The good ones know the true way of human existence , the ones that drink and bash women , sniff petrol are a disgrace .

Answer 10

It must be hard to keep up to date, A BBC doco states earliest human skull (dated 7.5mya) found in northwest Africa. Sorry Sandy G you were not the first on the planet, not even Australia your race came from China. earliest Australian/ indo bones found were a small human, tallest was some 3.8 foot. dated 70.000 ya.