Archaeologists from Tel Aviv University have published a report revealing their discovery of human remains in a cave in central Israel which they believe may be the earliest evidence for the existence of modern man.
The team chief Avi Gopher informed Agence France-Presse that their discovery of eight teeth in the Qesem Cabe challenges theoris of the origin of humans because it calls into question the widely held view that modern humans originated in Africa.
At this point, the earliest confirmed remains of modern man, or Homo sapiens, were 200,000 years old and found in East Africa.
The teeth found in Israel are about 400,000 years old.
"It's very exciting to come to this conclusion," Gopher said. "This changes the whole picture of evolution."
Some have speculated that the remains are likely related to the now extinct Neanderthals, but the team’s report as published in the "American Journal of Physical Anthropology," states that none of the Qesem teeth "shows a suite of Neanderthal characters," though "a few traits may suggest some affinities with members of the Neanderthal evolutionary lineage."
Gopher's team is continuing their dig at the cave and are convinced they will find skulls and bones that could confirm that the teeth are the remains of modern man.