Published in the February 17, 2005 issue of the journal Nature are new findings pushing the dawn of humans back another 35,000 to 195,000. New dating technology was applied to fossils discovered in 1967 by a team led by Richard Leakey on the banks of Ethiopia's Omo River. The fossils named Omo I and Omo II, were previously dated at 130,000 years old. The findings further support the theory that the earliest Homo sapiens first appeared in Africa before spreading throughout the world. Both Omo I and Omo II were classified as Homo sapiens in 1967, but Omo II appeared more primitive. That both lived at about the same time may provide additional clues regarding the diversity and the evolution of human anatomical early in human history.

McDougall I, Brown FH, Fleagle JG. Stratigraphic placement and age of modern humans from Kibish, Ethiopia. Nature. 2005 Feb 17;433(7027):733-6.