Read our Privacy noticeOver two dozen new human ancestor fossils unearthed at a Spanish cave site suggest these first Europeans may have engaged in cannibalism 850,000 years ago. Ongoing excavations have found that the adult remains of Homo antecessor buried here preserve cut marks produced during the processing of the bodies, indicating they were victims of cannibalism. The findings shed more light on the biology, development, social relationships, and behaviour of Homo antecessor around 850,000 years ago. “More importantly, however, it provides us with a much more representative population for understanding the biology, demography and behaviour of Homo antecessor,” Dr Saladié said. At the cave site, researchers also unearthed stone tools made from flint, quartzite, sandstone and quartz, as well as remains belonging to hyenas, beavers, deer, bovids, horses and rhinoceroses.