Question

its former occupants have been recently unearthed by an international team of scientists. they mark the earliest fossilized remains of homo sapiens ever found. until now, that honor belonged to two ethiopian fossils that are 160,000 and 195,000 years old respectively. but the jebel irhoud bones, and the stone tools that were uncovered with them, are far older—around 315,000 years old, with a possible range of 280,000 to 350,000 years. from ed yong, \scientists have found the oldest known human fossils.\ the atlantic (2017). how did the discovery of human fossils and tools at jebel irhoud affect existing theories of human migration? choose 1 answer: a) it provided evidence that homo sapiens didnt migrate, but rather evolved independently in two locations b) it potentially placed the first homo sapiens in a different location, and much earlier in time, than previously thought c) it provided additional support for the theory that homo sapiens first appeared in ethiopia d) it provided evidence that homo sapiens migrated to find stones that they could make into tools

Explanation:

• Option A: The discovery is about fossil age and location, not independent evolution in two locations, so A is wrong.
• Option B: The Jebel Irhoud fossils are older (around 315,000 years) than the previous Ethiopian ones (160,000 and 195,000 years) and from a different location, so it could revise the time and place of first Homo sapiens, making B correct.
• Option C: The new fossils are older and from a different place, so they don't support Ethiopia as the first appearance place, C is wrong.
• Option D: The text doesn't suggest migration was for finding stones, D is wrong.

Answer:

B. It potentially placed the first Homo sapiens in a different location, and much earlier in time, than previously thought