New evidence suggests that ancient humans may have migrated from Africa earlier than previously thought.
Stone tools that were found in China during an unearthing process, are thought to be about 270 000 years older than the previous earliest evidence of hum presence in Africa.
Chinese and British researchers think that the tools were made by another member of the homo evolutionary group, besides the Homo sapiens, about 2.1 million years ago.
The newly found artifacts were found on a plateau north of the Qinling mountains, China, and includes several chipped rocks, fragments, and hammer-stones.
Bones of pigs and deer’s were found at the site but the scientists could not state that the tools were used for hunting.
Zhaoyu Zhu, a professor at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, stated that the team was excited about the findings as one of his colleagues noticed a stone embedded in a steep outcrop and after that more artifacts were found.
Other experts, however, stated that what they had found should be taken with caution.
Geoffrey Pope, an anthropologist from William Paterson University in New Jersey America, states that he was skeptical and that the discovery will change very little.
He also stated that sometimes nature can shape stones in a way that they can sometimes look as though they have been carved by hand.
