Human fossil remains that were excavated more than 100 years ago
from the Mladec caves in Moravia, Czech Republic, belong to the
earliest Europeans, according to a new study. Scientists say the
bones, now dated to nearly 31,000 years, could help elucidate
the fate of Neandertals and the emergence of modern humans. The
Mladec remains are widely accepted as those of early modern
humans. But some of the males show characteristic Neandertal
features such as a low forehead and flattening at the back of
the skull. This has prompted questions about whether the Mladec
humans mixed with the Neandertals at a so-called transitional
period or instead represent a new species that replaced the
Neandertals. The debate, it seemed, could be settled by
determining the age of the Mladec remains through carbon dating.
To do this, scientists usually rely on collagen, a carbon-
bearing compound found in bones. The compound breaks down over
time, however, and several previous efforts to date the Mladec
remains using bone samples fai