AI Insight
Researchers have discovered 40,000-year-old carved bird figurines that provide new evidence about the cognitive and technical abilities of ice age humans in Europe. The artifacts suggest these early humans possessed advanced carving skills and symbolic thinking capabilities that may have played a role in their successful migration and settlement patterns across the European continent during the last ice age.
Why it matters
These findings enhance our understanding of early human cognitive development and the cultural practices that enabled ice age populations to adapt and thrive in challenging environments. The discovery contributes to the broader picture of how technological and artistic skills facilitated human expansion and survival during prehistoric times.
Understand the Science
Nature, Published online: 29 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02312-y
Newly discovered figurines point to skills that might have helped shape early humans’ expansion across Europe.
Source: 40,000-year-old bird carvings provide clues to how ice age humans flourished