Did the early humans move from Anatolia to Africa? Fossils say yes

oLocated in the city centre, the world’s rarest fossil bed, NE sheds light on Anatolia’s prehistoric life. Under the direction of Professor Ayra Sebim Elor of the Faculty of Language, History and Geography at Ankara University, the site of the Cicuri Korakiara has been unearthed thousands of fossilized, ranging from 8.5 million to 9 million years.

Speaking at the Cankiri Corakyerler Vertebrate Fossil Locality conference at the 10th Kastamonu City History Museum Science Days, Errol emphasized that such urban fossil fossil beds are extremely rare worldwide. “Nature left us with a 10 million-year-old legacy in the middle of the citrus,” she said. “There is no other example of this in the world.”

Rare fossils tell the story of Anatolia from prehistoric times

Excavated fossils include the skulls of young rhinoceros, an extinct horse breed known as Hippalion, modern elephant ancestors, large horned cows resembling bison, early Guilafid species, and wild groups like goats. These refer to the once rich, water-rich environment of Central Anatolia in the late Miocene.

A total of 4,320 identifiable fossils from 43 species are cataloged.

“Unlike early excavations where fossils were almost scattered and scattered, recent findings show a more clear specimen, meaning improved storage conditions.”

Archaeological excavations at the Corakyerler site in Cankiri, September 10, 2024 (AA photo)

Humanity may have migrated from Anatolia to Africa

One of the most impressive findings from this site is its potential impact on human research. Fossilized fossils are linked to the talka of Anadoluvius, suggesting that humanity may have lived in the area before migrating to Africa due to increased aridity.

“The earliest known human fossils in Africa date back to about 7 million years ago,” Errol explained. “However, the rest of the Corakyerler Hominin was dated more than 8 million years ago, suggesting that humanity may have originated or passed through Anatolia before spreading to Africa.”

Fossil destruction highlights the need for protection

Despite the global importance of the site, it faces a serious threat. In the late 1990s, the fossil was unintentionally destroyed by the construction of roads on sites that had been permitted by the museum. “We were trying to protect what nature had kept for 10 million years, but it was wiped out in an hour,” lamented Erol.

The efforts to preserve Corakyerler’s site have been underway since its rediscovery in 1997, when similarities to the Kalecik Candir fossil site had attracted researchers’ attention. The early fossils excavated in the area were transported to Germany under previous projects and were not returned to Türkiye.

The bone belonging to an elephant, which lived around 9 million years ago, was discovered on September 10, 2024 during an excavation at Cankiri, Türkiye.

Fossil treasure hidden under Anatolia soil

According to Errol, Türkiye is rich in fossil beds due to its marine past, but terrestrial fossil sites remain rare and valuable. She also pointed out that reptiles like mozazal are often confused with dinosaurs – inhabited the area, but no true dinosaur fossils have been found since the area was submerged during the Mesozoic Era.

Erol concluded that continuous research and conservation will allow Korakiaher to remain an active fossil region for decades to come, providing unparalleled insight into prehistoric ecosystems and migration patterns.

May 5, 2025 04:41 PM GMT+03:00