Ancient history

Fontechevade | anthropological and archaeological site, France

Fontéchevade , a southwest cave site France , known in 1947 for the discovery of ancient human remains and tools likely dating from 200,000 to 120,000 years ago. The fossils are composed of two skull fragments.

In contrast to the Neanderthals and Homo sapiens the frontal skull fragment lacks development of a frown. This trait prompted French paleoanthropologists of the time to call the "Pre- Sapiens “ theory suggest , in which the line to modern humans is said to have branched before the appearance of the Neanderthals. Subsequent research has cast doubt on the importance of Fontéchevade's evidence. One ​​of the fossils may be from an immature individual or from a time later than the surrounding deposits. The other does not preserve the browridge area, but other aspects of its morphology are similar to those of Neanderthals.