Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Where and when did Homo antecessor live?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Pleistocene Epoch
Ice sheets during the Wisconsin glacial episode penetrated deep into North America.
Fossil remains of Homo antecessor have been discovered in the Sierra de Atapuerca region of northern Spain, specifically within the Gran Dolina cave site.12
Regarding the timing of their existence, these remains have been dated to approximately 800,000 years ago. Some researchers have also proposed that H. antecessor may have been present in Eritrea in deposits dating to about one million years ago, though the classification and evolutionary placement of these fossils remain subjects of scientific debate among paleoanthropologists.12