A strange find in a floor tile inspires the Reddit community. A dentist discovers a jaw fragment that may have come from a Neanderthal.
Munich – Could this be the teeth of a Neanderthal? Users regularly share their unusual discoveries on the online platform Reddit. A dentist now claims to have discovered a set of teeth that is thousands of years old in his parents' floor tiles. This has brought several experts to the scene who are now discussing the find.
A dentist discovers a human jaw in a floor tile - a colleague confirms the assessment
“I found a mandible in the bottom of the travertine tiles in my parents' house,” a man enthusiastically shared on Reddit, posting a picture of his find. He even presents the find with a banana as a size comparison.
A colleague promptly responded in the comments and confirmed the finder's assessment - both are dentists. “This is a hominid mandible, almost certainly a human one,” he explains. “While all Old World monkeys and hominids have the same dental formula, 2-1-2-3, and the individual molars and premolars may look similar, the specific spacing in the lower jaw itself is very specific and distinctively human, or at least related and very young related to the hominid. Given the successful propagation of Hs and the (relatively) rapid formation of travertine, this is most likely humans,” he concludes. He suspects African, Middle Eastern or Asian origins.
The find comes from Turkey - experts identify a prehistoric jaw fragment
The finder goes on to explain that he was able to find out that the quarry the tile came from is in Turkey. Travertine stone is mined there in particular - and fossils are often discovered there.
Experts explain in an article in the
Daily Mail
that it is certain that the find is the jaw fragment of a hominid. However, due to the angle at which the jaw fragment was cut, the exact species cannot be determined with certainty. Experts believe it could be Homo erectus or Neanderthal. The finder of the fossil also said: “In the last 24 hours we have been contacted by several researchers and we are currently discussing how we can involve them.”
The discovery of the jaws delights the Reddit community
In any case, the other Reddit users are enthusiastic about the archaeological find. “Omg, this is incredible. This post is historic,” commented one user, for example. “This is crazy!” says another person. And a third added: "This may be the most interesting post on Reddit I've ever seen."
In Bavaria, however, researchers found a fossil skeleton - "The largest amphibian discovery ever made in Bavaria," it was said. In The Hague, Netherlands, a beachgoer was surprised with a sensational find.
(jh)