Scientists in Spain have unearthed fossilised facial bones estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.4 million years old, potentially belonging to a previously unknown species in the human evolutionary lineage, Reuters reported.

The discovery at the Sima del Elefante cave site, near Burgos, rewrites Europe’s early human history.

The fossils include 80% of an adult individual’s left midface, encompassing parts of the cheekbone, upper jaw, and nasal structure.

They are among the oldest known human remains found in Europe and have been nicknamed “Pink” after Pink Floyd.

Pink’s facial structure appears more primitive than Homo antecessor, a species that inhabited Western Europe around 850,000 years ago. 

Unlike the modern-like midface of Homo antecessor, Pink’s features are more pronounced and massive, resembling but differing from Homo erectus, the first known human species to migrate from Africa.

While incomplete, the fossils suggest the possibility of a new species, provisionally named Homo affinis erectus. 

“These findings open a new line of research in the study of human evolution in Europe,” said archaeologist Rosa Huguet, lead author of the study published in Nature.

Europe’s earliest human inhabitants remain poorly understood. Fossils from Dmanisi, Georgia, dating to 1.8 million years ago, are often linked to Homo erectus. 

However, Pink’s remains, found in an older sediment layer than a previously recovered jawbone at Sima del Elefante, suggest an even earlier migration into Europe.

Further research, including advanced imaging and 3D analysis, is underway to reconstruct Pink’s full face and clarify its evolutionary significance.