The first fossil find in Tam Pa Ling Cave is a hominin skull dubbed TPL1, was recovered at a depth of 2.35 m (7 ft 9 in) in December 2009.

TPL1 includes the frontal, partial occipital, right parietal, and temporal bone, the right and left maxillae, and a largely complete dentition. It was identified as belonging to an anatomically modern human with distinct Sub-Saharan African features. As of 2017, it provides the earliest skeletal evidence for the presence of Homo sapiens in mainland Southeast Asia.