First humans in Poland faced harsh conditions, ultimately died out
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Archaeologists in Poland are investigating the fate of the earliest Homo sapiens who ventured into Europe around 60 to 70,000 years ago. Professor Małgorzata Kot and her team have found evidence of a small group, around 2,000 to 3,000 individuals, who traveled through the Balkans and the Krakow Jura region, settling in what is now Poland.
These early humans arrived during a glacial period, facing a cold tundra or steppe environment and needing to hunt megafauna like mammoths and rhinos while avoiding cave bears, hyenas, and lions. The research shows these first arrivals didn't adapt well to the European climate, unlike populations originating from warmer Africa. While they survived for approximately 5,000 years, their genetic line ultimately died out, as no modern populations descend from them.
Similar stories have emerged from Italy and France, where other small groups of early Homo sapiens also arrived but didn't endure. Professor Kot’s work, alongside analyses of ancient DNA and climate data, reveals a complex history of human migration out of Africa. These early wanderers weren’t necessarily conquering the world, but rather small groups testing the limits of survival. Later, around 40,000 years ago, a different population successfully settled Europe, becoming the ancestors of those who live there today.
Researchers continue to search for evidence of other ancient human populations, like the mysterious group that interbred with Denisovans, to fully understand the story of human origins.
