Challenging the notion that cancer is a modern disease, scientists have discovered evidence of the illness in a 1.7-million-year-old hominin fossil unearthed in South Africa-making it the oldest known case of cancer discovered to date. The finding, detailed in reports from National Geographic, suggests cancer has been a part of the human story far longer than previously understood. Researchers utilized advanced 3D imaging to identify osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, in the ancient remains, prompting new questions about the disease’s origins adn its relationship to contemporary lifestyles.
Jakarta –
Cancer, often associated with modern lifestyles, pollution, and processed foods, may have roots stretching back millions of years. New scientific evidence suggests the disease is far older than previously believed, with the oldest known cancer discovered in a 1.7-million-year-old human ancestor fossil.
The discovery, reported by National Geographic, was made by researchers examining a fossilized toe bone found in a cave at Swartkrans, South Africa, around 206 years ago. Using advanced 3D imaging technology – a micro-CT scan – the team identified osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer.
“We compared the images of the fossil to biopsies from modern patients, and the results were identical,” said Edward Odes of the University of the Witwatersrand, one of the study’s authors. This finding challenges conventional thinking about the origins of cancer and its relationship to contemporary life.
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While it’s unclear if the cancer directly caused the individual’s death, experts believe the tumor would have been extremely painful and likely impaired their ability to walk. Understanding the long history of cancer can help contextualize the disease’s prevalence today.
The same research also revealed evidence of a benign tumor on the spine of a fossil belonging to Australopithecus sediba, an even older hominin dating back 1.98 million years. This abnormal growth was discovered in a fossilized juvenile specimen.
Prior to these findings, the oldest known evidence of a tumor was found on a rib bone of a Neanderthal, estimated to be around 120,000 years old. The new discoveries push the documented history of cancer back by millions of years.
“You can choose a keto or paleo diet, or live in the cleanest environment possible, but the capacity for this disease has been within us since ancient times, regardless of what we do,” Odes emphasized. This suggests that cancer isn’t solely a product of modern life, but a deeply ingrained part of the human experience.
One reason cancer wasn’t frequently recorded in ancient times is likely due to limited lifespans. Cancer typically develops in individuals over the age of 65. In prehistoric times, very few people lived long enough to develop the disease, meaning it rarely became apparent.
(kna/kna)
