Evidence of Cannibalism Found on Ancient Human Relative's Bone

Cut marks made by a stone tool on a 1.5-million-year-old human relative's bone found in northern Kenya appear to be the oldest evidence of one hominin butchering another, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The discovery raises the possibility that the remains were cannibalized. Cannibalism requires that both the consumer and consumed be of the same species. The closer the practice gets to Homo sapiens, the more complex and uncomfortable the questions it raises.