Tooth found in Cave of Orce named earliest human remain

A MILK tooth discovered in Granada has been declared the earliest known human remain ever found in Western Europe.

The infants tooth was unearthed in the Cave of Orce and is believed to be 1.4 million years old.

Archaeologists believe the tooth came from a Homo erectus or Homo habilis which correlates with another discovery in the cave.

In 1983, Catalan archaeologist Josep Gibert visited the cave and found a skull fragment belonging to what he dubbed the Orce Man.

Although Gibert’s 1.3 million dating was strongly contested at the time, some scientists believe the new discovery could be a direct ancestor of the Orce Man.

The late Gibert’s son, Luis, now hopes to visit the cave himself if he can obtain a license to dig in the area.