New 4ft human species with curved fingers and toes discovered in Philippines cave
Bones and teeth of the newly described 'hominin' who roamed Southeast Asia more than 50,000 years ago have been unearthed by scientists
A NEW tribe of 4ft humans with curved fingers and toes has been discovered in a Philippines cave.
Bones and teeth of the newly discovered species, which roamed South East Asia more than 50,000 years ago, have been unearthed by scientists.
The tiny individuals were capable of climbing trees and walking on two feet.
Seven teeth, two hand bones, three foot bones and one thigh bone from at least three tribesmen were dug up in a cave.
They were discovered at the Callao caves near Penablanca, 210 miles north of Manila, and named Homo luzonensis after the island of Luzon on which they were found.
Early hominins arrived on the island by raft from Africa at a time when experts did not think they were capable of long sea journeys.
Stone tools used to butcher meat dating back 700,000 years have previously been found there – along with a 67,000 year-old human bone.
This was the third metatarsal from a foot found in 2007 in the same cave, but which human species it belonged to had puzzled scientists for a decade.
CURVED FINGERS AND TOES
Corresponding author Dr Florent Detroit, of the Natural History Museum in Paris, said it provided the earliest direct evidence of a human presence in the Philippines.
It shows that hominins – the group of animals that includes humans and all of its human-like ancestors – thrived in South East Asia far earlier than we thought.
Dr Detroit said: "Analysis of this foot bone suggested that it belonged to the genus Homo, but to which species was unclear.
"Here we report the discovery of twelve additional hominin elements that represent at least three individuals that were found in the same layer of Callao Cave as the previously discovered metatarsal.
"These specimens display a combination of primitive and derived morphological features that is different from the combination of features found in other species in the genus Homo - including Homo floresiensis and Homo sapiens - and warrants their attribution to a new species, which we name Homo luzonensis."
BONE FOUND IN CAVE
It follows the discovery of Homo floresiensis, dubbed 'the Hobbit', on the southern Indonesian island of Flores in 2004.
Both were alive at the same time during the Late Pleistocene - sharing the planet with other hominins such as Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and a mysterious group called the Denisovans.
It adds to increasing evidence of a 'Lord of the Rings' style world filled with hobbit-like human species - with some even interbreeding.
But the ancestors of Homo luzonensis and the Hobbit may have been isolated on islands where they shrank in size owing to limited resources.
They are believed to each be descendants of Homo erectus - the first bipedal human to make it "out of Africa" into Southeast Asia.
Who were the Flores hobbits whose remains were discovered in a remote cave?
Homo floresiensis, dubbed 'the Hobbit', were discovered on the southern Indonesian island of Flores in 2004.
Both were alive at the same time during the Late Pleistocene - sharing the planet with Homo sapiens, the Neanderthals and a mysterious group called the Denisovans.
It adds to increasing evidence of a 'Lord of the Rings' style world - with some species even interbreeding.
Scientists have previously likened it to Middle Earth in the JRR Tolkien fantasy where humans, hobbits, elves, dwarves and orcs lived side-by-side.
But the ancestors of Homo luzonensis and the Hobbit may have been isolated on islands where they shrank in size owing to limited resources.
The former, described in Nature, is believed to have been even smaller - and less robust. It was identified from its unique teeth - such as distinctive premolars.
These were a blend of ancient and modern features. When compared with the molars of other hominin species, they are astonishingly small.
The simplified surfaces of the crowns look similar to those of of H. sapiens. Yet the shape of the teeth share similarities with those of H. erectus from Asia.
The researchers also used 3D imaging to examine the internal region of the teeth wehere enamel meets a protective layer known as dentine. This was distinct from that of hominins other than H. floresiensis.
Homo luzonensis also had an unusually curved big toe - ideal for climbing. The hominin known as Australopithecus afarensis - that lived in Africa 3 million years ago - also had this.
Interestingly that species - the most famous skeleton of which is 'Lucy' - was also under 4 feet tall and could walk and climb trees.
The international team believe Homo luzonensis was also a climber - even though its contemporaries were walking upright and not hanging out in trees.
Dr Detroit said: "The Late Pleistocene hominin fossils from Callao Cave show a combination of dental and hand and foot features that is distinct from currently known species of the genus Homo."
