"Homo Luzonensis": discovery of a new species of hominid at the end of the Pleistocene – 04/10/2019



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The discovery of fossils in a cave of philippines suggests the possible existence of a new hominid who would have lived during the Pleistocene, a little more than 50 000 years ago. This is revealed by a study published in the latest issue of the journal Nature. They called him Homo Luzonensis. According to the researchers, it is not an ancestor of the modern man.

The discovery was made by experts from the Museum of Natural History of Paris: They found thirteen remains, among which were knuckles of feet and hands, a piece of femur and teeth. which belonged to at least three individuals of these to the ancient hominids. According to the survey, one of these people I was a child. The fossils found would serve as evidence to explain the new hominid who would have lived on the island of Luzon, which is part of the Philippines.





Evolution of the man



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Prior to this survey, published Wednesday, the discovery of a single standing bone dating back to 67,000 years had already suggested that there were hominids on the island of Luzon. At the same time, in the same area, evidence of slaughter of animals was discovered about 700,000 years ago.

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The research team pointed out that the new specimens had characteristics such as striking premolars, visibly different from those found in other hominids. Even different from Homo Floresiensis, another hominid who inhabited the islands of Southeast Asia.

The teeth of 'Homo luzonensis & # 39; They resemble those of our species, but the bones of their feet and hands resemble those of primitive Australopithecus.

The teeth of 'Homo luzonensis & # 39; They resemble those of our species, but the bones of their feet and hands resemble those of primitive Australopithecus.

The remains discovered this time were many more boys than the bones of a modern human: they feel that these hominids measured less than 1.20 meters high. According to studies, Homo Luzonensis – also Floresiensis – was a contemporary of Homo Sapiens and Neanderthal.

Scientists think Luzonensis and Floresiensis have remained isolated in limited territories, for the inhabited islands. This could have meant that their size had been reduced because of the limited resources available.

Detail of Homo Luzonesis teeth. (AFP)

Detail of Homo Luzonesis teeth. (AFP)

The teeth of the new hominid, in particular, represent an enigma for the researchers, because they mix characteristics hitherto visible in various species. In this regard, one of the badumptions is that the newly discovered specimens come from Homo Erectus, a bipedal species that had left Africa and lived in Southeast Asia before Homo Luzonensis and Floresiensis. However, one of the foot bones found seems curved, a feature that has facilitated climbing and links them to older Australopithecus.

View of the island of Luzon, where the remains of Homo Luzonensis were found. (AFP)

View of the island of Luzon, where the remains of Homo Luzonensis were found. (AFP)

The new species has both "very primitive elements or characters similar to those of the Australopithecus and others, modern, close to those of Homo sapiens", explains Florent Detroit, paleoanthropologist of the Paris museum and principal author of the study published in Nature. This makes it a mosaic specieshe says.

Image of the excavation in which the remains of Homo Luzonensis were found in a cave in the Philippines. (AFP)

Image of the excavation in which the remains of Homo Luzonensis were found in a cave in the Philippines. (AFP)

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Scientists plan to continue digging in the Philippine cave. Although they think that the wet and warm climate of the area has cleared the DNA of the species, they have interest in extracting bone proteins that allow to deepen the knowledge of these hominids.

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