A man in Europe, known as KidiPadeli75 on Reddit, who is also a dentist practicing implant dentistry, noticed something unusual in one of the floor tiles in his parents' recently renovated house. Upon closer inspection, he identified it as a part of a human jawbone. He could probably identify because of his profession. He believes he could easily recognize it because he deals with it every day. The floor tile is made of travertine, which came from a quarry in western Turkey's Denizli Basin, where it originated between 0.7 million and 1.8 million years ago.
This discovery has ignited discussions among experts about finding fossils in these travertine tiles, as they must have been incorporated during their formation. When the dentist shared this information on Reddit, he was contacted by an international team of researchers who planned to remove the tile for further study. They intend to conduct CT scanning, chemical analysis, and potentially examine DNA from the jawbone fragment.
At first glance, the photo suggests that this jaw must have undergone some dental work because there are missing teeth, and bone has filled the spaces where the teeth once were. The Denizli Basin has yielded various fossils, including other human remains like fragments of a skull belonging to humans dating back at least 1.1 million years ago. This finding highlights the potential for discovering fossils in such unexpected places, reminding people to remain observant during renovations or visits to home improvement stores.
So, this narrative illustrates how the discovery of the travertine sparked interest. A similar case occurred when researchers uncovered a 4,500-year-old burial site in Mexico, which represents the oldest known example of dental work in America. The remains likely belonged to an individual aged 28 to 32, with evidence of dental modifications involving the grinding down of upper teeth and mounting with animal teeth for ceremonial purposes. This practice likely existed a thousand years ago and indicates the level of technological advancement in cultural practices in ancient Mexican society. Despite the dental modifications, the individual appears to have been well-fed and of high social status. This research was funded by the National Geographic Society and supported by various organizations in Mexico and the United States.
Input from various sources
(Rehash/Dr.Manav Chaturvedi/SB)
