A third hominid metatarsal discovered in 2007 in the Callao cave (in the north of Luzon , in the Philippines ) and dated to 67 thousand years ago it provided the first direct evidence of a human presence in the Philippines .
The analysis of this bony foot suggested that it belonged to the Homo genus , but which species was unclear.
Twelve additional hominid elements representing at least three individuals were found in the same stratigraphic layer as Callao Cave like the metatarsus previously discovered.
These specimens show a combination of primitive and derived morphological features that is different from the combination of features found in other species of the genus Homo (including Homo Floresiensis and Homo Sapiens ) and guarantees their attribution to a new species, which is called Homo Luzonensis .
Fossil remains of H. luzonensis from Late Pleistocene sediments at Callao Cave:
a) Holotype CCH6:postcanine maxillary teeth in occlusal (left) and buccal (right) aspects, with three-dimensional rendering of enamel (dark blue), dentine and cement (light brown), and pulp cavity (dark gray) for CCH6-b– CCH6-e.
b) Intermediate manual phalanx CCH2 (dorsal, lateral and palmar aspects).
c) Distal manual phalanx CCH5 (dorsal, lateral / medial and palmar aspects).
d) Proximal pedal phalanx CCH4 (dorsal, lateral and plantar aspects).
e) Intermediate pedal phalanx CCH3 (dorsal, medial and plantar aspects).
f) Left P³ or P⁴ CCH8:occlusal (top) and buccal (bottom) aspects, with three-dimensional rendering of enamel, dentine and cement, and pulp cavity.
g) Right M³ CCH9:occlusal (top) and buccal (bottom) aspects.
h) Juvenile femoral shaft CCH7 (anterior, lateral and posterior aspects). Scale bars, 10 mm (a – g) and 20 mm (h);
The presence of another previously unknown hominid species east of the Wallace line during the Pleistocene era superior emphasizes the importance of the Southeast Asian island in the evolution of the Homo genus .
Source: Nature, April 19th 2019
Title: A new species of Homo from the late Pleistocene of the Philippines
Author: Florent Détroit, Armand Salvador Mijares, Julien Corny, Guillaume Daver, Clément Zanolli