A skull discovered in the Petralona cave in Greece keeps the scientific community on edge. Despite decades of studies, experts have not been able to classify it as human or Neanderthal.
The fossil is estimated to be about 300,000 years old, and according to specialists, it belonged to a young adult male. Its morphology doesn't fit into known lineages and raises questions about evolution in Europe.
A discovery that astonished the world
The discovery took place in 1959 when a group of speleologists entered the Petralona cave. They found a skull covered by a stalagmite, which immediately attracted international attention.
According to the Journal of Human Evolution, for decades, attempts to classify the fossil caused debates and controversies. Its dating ranged from 170,000 to 700,000 years, without definitive consensus.
The key to modern dating
A recent study used uranium series technology to determine the age of the mineral coating. The result: about 277,000 years, which places the skull at around 300,000 years.
