What is the significance of the finds at Dmanisi, Republic of Georgia site?

Question

how have these finds pushed a rethinking of early hominids?

Answer 1

They appear to represent the oldest known humans that migrated out of Africa. In fact their tools are nearly identical to those found in Africa.

They "indicate an earliest Pleistocene age of about 1.7 million years ago, ... The Dmanisi fossils, in contrast with Pleistocene hominids from Western Europe and Eastern Asia, show clear African affinity and may represent the species that first migrated out of Africa. "

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/ab...

"although the Dmanisi dental fossils show primitive morphology that resembles that seen in Australopithecus and H. habilis, they also display some derived characteristics, particularly in relation to dental reduction, resembling that seen in the dentition of H. erectus from the Far East."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18486...

"The fact that Dmanisi contains early human remains, lithic artifacts, and a datable geologic context is very special. The site is significant for other reasons as well. The Dmanisi finds are distinct from all other early human fossils found outside of Africa in that they have been classified as H. ergaster. This classification expands the boundaries of this species, which, until these finds, appeared to be geographically confined to East Africa."

http://anthropology.si.edu/HumanOrigins/...

Answer 2

It isn't even considered erectus by most paleontologists.  It is closer to habilis.  It shows that the pure "Out of Africa" theory is likely exaggerated because erectus wasn't the first to leave.  There is really no reason to assume Homo georgicus are ancestors of modern humans and they probably weren't.  It more strongly points to there being multiple species of hominids and our family tree was probably much more complicated than previous simplistic theories indicated.  It was an early "primitive" hominid that didn't live in Africa.  For those without blinders on, it is a strong indication of a possible strong Asian contribution to human origins.

Answer 3

At 1.7+ mya, this (H. erectus/H.ergaster) find represents the first predecessor of Modern Man, out of Africa...