Oldest modern human remains older than previously estimated, new research says

(CNN) - New research suggests modern humans are much older than previously thought.

The age of the oldest Homo sapien discovered, Omo One, is at least 230,000 years old.

When it was first found under volcanic ash in Ethiopia in the 1960s, it was believed to be nearly 200,000 years old.

A team from the University of Cambridge has cleared up the age by dating the volcanic rocks above it.

They found the samples were related to the Shala volcano, which erupted 230,000 years ago. Since Omo One was found below that ash layer, it must be older than that.

Though earlier forms of humans have been found in Africa, Omo One is the oldest with modern characteristics, such as a tall, spherical cranium and chin.