Scientists discover new species closely related to humans

Scientists say they have found a new species closely related to humans following the discovery of teeth and bones in a cave on an island in the Philippines.

Researchers analyzed remains found on the island of Luzon, concluding in research published Wednesday in the journal Nature that the remains represent a new species related to humans.

Dubbed Homo luzonensis, after the island where the fossils were found, the species is the fourth peculiar and extinct member of the Homo genus, to which modern-day humans belong, discovered this century, according to The Washington Post.{mosads}

The first fossil, a toe bone, was discovered in 2007 by archaeologist Armand Salvador Mijares, according to NPR. In 2011, the team excavating the cave discovered more toe bones, finger bones, part of a thigh bone and seven teeth, NPR reported.

Scientists said the species likely was small in stature and in possession of a combination of modern and ancient traits.

Scientists were not able to extract DNA from the bones but were able to use them to determine that one of the individuals lived 67,000 years ago and the other 50,000 years ago, according to Reuters.

The researchers said the discovery of Homo luzonensis shows that the story of human evolution is more complicated than previously understood.