One of the oldest men's deaths may have been one of the most horrific – after he was killed by a huge monster Share this article Share this article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy link Link copied Bookmark this Comment
One of humanity's most ancient ancestors died a horrific and brutal death at the hands of an extinct mega-predator. It was one of the most brutal deaths in history.
The individual, known as OH7, was a Homo habilis, one of the earliest human species to inhabit southern and eastern Africa, who died at the hands of a colossal crocodile.
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Fortunately, these terrifying beasts are now extinct.
Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni, a crocodile from Kenya's Turkana Basin, was the largest crocodile to ever exist, reaching 25 metres in length and weighing 25 tonnes.
What's more, Homo habilis was one of the smallest species, with some individuals standing around 4 feet tall, “which would have made them very fragile and made life very difficult for them,” the Mirror reports, according to Extinct Zoo.
OH7, an individual who lived in an ancient wetland environment, suffered her first fatal blow when a crocodile tore off her leg completely, as her wound immediately sank into the muddy, hot mud.
Then came the second blow. A large cat tore his head apart, leaving deep furrows in the bones. Scientists believe it may have been a leopard.
Extinct Zoo explained: “It is believed that when the crocodile attacked, he may have turned to face it, leaving his back exposed to a nearby cat.”
Even today, crocodiles and big cats can be seen fighting over the same prey, so it is possible that this is how OH 7 died. In another shocking death, Homo heidelbergensis, a species of archaic human from the Middle Pleistocene of Europe and Africa, was found with holes in its skull in a Spanish cave. It is believed to be the oldest murder in history.
This means that he could have died quickly from a severe head injury.
The cave had a slope and sharp ledges, which led scientists to believe that these could have formed the holes, but the holes were identical.
It was therefore assumed that the holes were made by an animal, but no animal had teeth that matched these marks.
It was concluded that the holes were likely made by stone axes, which cause severe blunt trauma, meaning the individual was likely killed 430,000 years ago.
Extinct Zoo said: “This is now believed to be the oldest known case of murder and shows that murder may have been part of our history even before we evolved.”
Thousands more bones were found in the cave, meaning many more people could have suffered the same ordeal.
However, none of them were as old as the original Homo heidelbergensis killing case.
It is now believed that this cave may have been one of the earliest examples of a marked burial site.
“This early outbreak of violence could have been the result of a fight over resources or territory,” the channel added.
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