Piecing together the story of Europe’s earliest settlers is a challenge, largely because relevant human fossils are scarce. On March 12, researchers announced the discovery of a new fossil from the excavation site of Sime del Elefante, near Burgos in Spain. Known as ATE7-1, the new fossil consists of a partial face belonging to an ancient hominin, a biological classification that includes living humans and our closest extinct relatives, such as Neanderthals and Homo erectus.
