~300,000 years agoPeer-reviewedDebated
First Homo sapiens
On the timeline · around ~300,000 years ago · Prehistory
What happened
The oldest known Homo sapiens fossils, from Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, push the origin of our species back to about 300,000 years ago.
Why it matters
The emergence of anatomically modern humans.
How we know
Fossils and associated tools at Jebel Irhoud, dated by thermoluminescence to roughly 315,000 years; interpretations are still debated.
The definition and dating of the earliest H. sapiens are actively discussed.