17 June 2009
Neanderthal fossil found in North Sea
For the very first time, a piece of fossilised skull from a Neanderthal man has been found in the North Sea.
It was found by a private fossil-collector from Belgium whilst dredging shells from the North Sea.
The fossil fragment is similar to other fossils found in France and is believed to be 60,000 years old.
Scientists have looked at the chemicals in the fossil and found that the Neanderthal man ate mainly meat by hunting animals, including reindeer.
Neanderthals were our close evolutionary cousins, and they first appear in the fossil record around 400,000 years ago.
By looking at other remains that could be found in the sea, scientists hope to find out more about how and when Neanderthals exactly first lived in England.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8099377.stm