A mysterious species of ancient human has been discovered in a cave in southern Siberia. Nicknamed X-Woman, scientists say the human lived alongside our ancestors tens of thousands of years ago. The discovery, which could rewrite mankind's family tree, was made after analysis of DNA from a fossilised finger bone.Experts believe the finger belonged to a child who died 48,000 to 30,000 years ago. It was thought only two species of early humans lived at that time - the ancestors of modern man and the Neanderthals, who died out soon afterwards. But the DNA evidence published in the journal Nature reveals a third species.The latest study was based on an analysis of 'mitochondrial' DNA - a genetic code passed from mothers to children. Researcher Dr Svante Pääbo said the code was different from that of Neanderthals and modern humans and was 'a new creature that's not been on our radar screens so far'.
The scientists are unable to say what X-Woman looked like and are even unsure if the finger belonged to a male of female, but Dr Pääbo said they named her X-Woman 'because its mitochondrial and we want to take a feminist tack on this'. The discovery of the 'X-Woman' comes as scientists revealed images of what man looked like millions of years ago.
Gathering bone fragments from across the globe, paleoanthropologists used sophisticated research methods to form the 27 model heads, which are on show at the Senckenberg Natural History Museum in Frankfurt, Germany. The exhibition goes back seven million years to sahelanthropus tchadensis and traces the numerous stages of man culminating with modern-day homo sapiens. Each of the heads is used to tell its story: where they lived; what they ate; and what killed them. It shows how researchers today use satellite image analysis and computer tomography. There is little doubt that Africa is the cradle of humanity and this is where the most ancient of the remains were unearthed. But clues to other pre-human species have been found in the Middle East and Far East.
Only a few thousand fossils of pre-human species have ever been discovered and entire sub-species are sometimes known only from a single jaw or fragmentary skull. (Daily Mail)