Article – Page 7 – Hit.Media. Space young journalism

Vaccination wrestlers are being driven from social networks
Instagram blocks hashtags against vaccination

Reading time 5 minutes

Instagram struggles with misinformation about vaccinations by blocking hashtags that show false posts on a controversial topic.

Anti-vaccination messages on social media are considered one of the reasons for the decline in vaccination rates in recent years, when an estimated 169 million children worldwide missed the first dose of measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017.

Instagram already bans obvious hashtags, through which antivaccination activists are spreading false information. Labels #vaccinescauseautism (vaccines causes autism), #vaccinescauseaids (vaccines entail AIDS) and #vaccinesarepoison (vaccine is poison) have been got under the block. Now the policy of the social network is expanding hashtags, which may seem at first glance neutral and harmless.

Misleading reports of vaccination on social media are believed to be one of the reasons why vaccination rates have been declined in recent years

For example, the hashtag #vaccines1234 (vaccines 1234) does not contain anything alarming in its formulation, but if the platform finds that this hashtag is used in a number of messages to promote vaccine misinformation, it will be added to the block list. When a hashtag is blocked, users don’t get results when they search for it on the social network.

Instagram has not specified a limit on the number of times after which the hashtag will be blocked. Instead, the platform said it would ban the hashtag in case the content displayed on its page contained «a certain amount» of fake anti-vaccination information.

False statements, such as #vaccinescauseaids and #vaccinesarepoison has already been banned and do not show the search results in Instagram

Instagram has taken these measures after recent Facebook pleas. The company announced that it «is considering additional measures» to address anti-vaccination messages after concerns about a controversial topic that appears in the groups and on the Facebook pages.

At that time, the company recognized that the challenge was complex as it struggled to strike a balance between freedom of expression and the security of its users. Despite this, the social network said it will continue to fight the problem.

Last month health Minister Matt Hancock said he «can’t rule anything out» when was asked if unvaccinated children should be kept out of school. NHS England Executive Director Simon Stevens also described the vaccine’s abandonment as a «growing public health time bomb».

In addition to banning hashtags, Instagram is considering showing educational pop-up messages to people looking for vaccine-related hoaxes. The platform is already showing similar messages to people who are interested in information about drugs and self-harm.

Instagram plans to show educational pop-up messages to doubting people

In February, YouTube stopped showing ads on many popular channels that promote anti-vaccination conspiracy theories. He made this move after protests from firms who have discovered that their advertising works, along with the controversial video.

The world health organization (WHO) said that in 2019 anti-vaccination became the «top 10 global health threats».

T-Rex found new relatives
Recently discovered fossils have filled the missing link in dinosaur evolution

Reading time 5 minutes

Paleontologists recently announced in the scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution that the ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex evolved from dinosaurs as tall as a small child.

Newly discovered dinosaur, called Suskityrannus hazelae, weighed approximately from 20 to 40 pounds. Its height reached only 90 centimeters. Tyrannosaurus Rex weighed about 9 tons and had a length of about 12 meters.

The lead author of the study, Sterling Nesbitt, a paleontologist from Virginia Tech in the US, said that the fossils of the cousin of Tyrannosaurus Rex represent one of the best examples of how a smaller family of dinosaurs evolved into monstrous superhuman.

Fossilized bones of S. hazelae, which existed about 92 million years ago on the territory of modern Western new Mexico (Photo: VIRGINIA TECH)

«A small group of dinosaurs spawned the biggest predators we’ve ever seen», Nesbitt said.

On Monday, it was reported that Suskityrannus hazelae is an intermediate between smaller tyrannosaurs and giant, the last surviving members of the species.

«Suskityrannus is a key link between bone huge dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus Rex and smaller types from which they evolved», said Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist from the University of Edinburgh. He added: «The New species shows that tyrannosaurs developed many of their characteristic features, such as a muscular skull, a wide mouth, and cushioning legs when they were still small».

The scientist shows how small a part of the skull of S. hazelae is compared to the casting of the full-size part of the jaw of a Tyrannosaurus Rex (Photo: VIRGINIA TECH)

It is believed that Suskityrannus hazelae existed 92 million years ago, about 20 million years before Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Nesbitt says he first discovered the incomplete skeleton of Suskityrannus hazelae in new Mexico in 1997 and another more complete specimen in 1998. But in the decades that followed, scientists weren’t sure what it was until other fossils of smaller Tyrannosaurus Rex brethren were discovered.

Nesbitt found fossils of S. hazelae in 1997 when he was a teenager (Photo: hazel wolf)

Another tiny relative of Rex, Moros the Fearless, was discovered in February and is believed to have lived 96 million years ago.

«Suskityrannus gives us an idea of the evolution of tyrannosaurs just before they took over the planet», Nesbitt said.

The report notes that Tyrannosaurus Rex roamed the earth for only 15 million years before the species was destroyed. Smaller tyrannosaurs are thought to have existed 150 million years before Tyrannosaurus Rex. Incomplete paleontological data make it difficult to determine how dinosaur species evolved during this period of time.

Although the discovery helps to understand how Tyrannosaurus Rex evolved, paleontologists say it is still unclear why small carnivorous dinosaurs evolved to become so large.

Mastering «the new alphabet»
A selection of sites that will teach you how to program

Reading time 4 minutes

In today’s world, programming becomes something like a new alphabet: if people learn to encode information it will be the same progress as after the development of writing and reading skills. It is not necessary to be an IT- specialist to understand that knowledge of programming languages will be useful in any field: for data processing, information optimization, etc. Therefore, even people far from programming begin to master this new alphabet. If you also want to understand the endless stream of symbols and create algorithms, we offer several sites that will help you with this.

Codecademy

This is one of the most popular online programming platforms. The user only needs to register to get free access to the course materials. In total, the site presents 12 programming languages, so both beginners and advanced specialists will have something to work with. The site has a separate chat, where users can consult with each other and with experienced web developers. Codecademy teaches programming in an accessible game form, so the site is suitable for those who have long justified themselves with the phrase: «I really want to learn to code, but I’m afraid».

Udacity

Among the other sites on programming, Udacity is characterized by the free of charge issues a digital certificate to users that successfully completed a particular course. This diploma is appreciated by many IT companies, so if you are serious and want to connect your career with programming, Udacity will be the most suitable option. The platform also provides courses related to blogging and start-up creation, they teach only the basics of programming necessary to perform specific tasks.

Free Code Camp

The platform can be described as a site created for beginners with big ambitions: the service is provided for training from scratch, so each task is explained in detail. However, the site gives you the opportunity to participate in the development of large projects created by other users. Therefore, here you can get both knowledge and experience. To get a certificate confirming the completion of the course, you will have to make a lot of effort: the final task must not just pass, but put on the git-repository.

Important reminder: don’t be afraid of errors in programming. Phrase: «I pushed something , and everything broke», perhaps, the most common among newcomers. But all of the platforms listed above have «sandboxes» – that is, fields for testing the created programs – and, if something goes wrong, the site will indicate an error in the code.

Why didn’t Leonardo da Vinci finish the Mona Lisa?
Scientists have found the cause of the damage to the artist's hand

Reading time 6 minutes

Leonardo da Vinci could damage the nerve in the fall, which prevented him from drawing in the last years of life, suggest Italian doctors. They diagnosed the artist with elbow paralysis, analyzing the image of his right hand in two works.

Previously, it was assumed that the damage to Leonardo’s hand caused a stroke. But in the study published in the journal of the Royal medical society, doctors made an alternative assumption. The researchers believe that one of the hands of da Vinci began to function poorly due to nerve damage. This meant that he could no longer hold the palette and brush in his right hand.

Leonardo da Vinci, who lived from 1452-1519, was an artist and inventor whose talents spanned architecture, anatomy, engineering and sculpture, as well as painting. But experts have long argued to what extent Leonardo was Ambidextrous. And, although he was more skilled in drawing with his left hand, it is believed that he drew only with his right. A separate study published last month confirmed this theory.

Experts have confirmed that the 500-year-old engraving – a rare image of Leonardo da Vinci

To learn more about what caused Leonardo’s injury, the authors of the research published in the journal of the Royal medical society studied a number of historical artifacts. Among them was an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi in 1505 depicting a man playing the lyre da braccio – a stringed instrument of The Renaissance. The man in the print was recently identified as Leonardo da Vinci. This suggests that at this time he made good use of both hands, the researchers said.

Scientists have analyzed and portrait of an elderly Leonardo, written by Giovanni Ambrogio Figino, an artist who worked in Milan. According to the analysis, the picture of the Renaissance man held his right hand in a «hard, compressed position».

Sketch of Leonardo da Vinci with the image of his «clawed hand»

Dr. Davide Lazzeri, a specialist in plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgery at the Villa Salaria clinic in Rome, who led the analysis, said: «Instead of portraying the typical clenched arm observed in post-stroke muscle spasticity (a state of increased muscle tone), the picture offers an alternative diagnosis, such as elbow paralysis, commonly known as clawed arm».

The ulnar nerve passes from the shoulder to the little finger and controls almost all of the internal muscles of the arm, which allow fine motor skills to work, so, a fall could cause shoulder injury, leading to paralysis or weakness.

Dr. Lazzery added that there are no reports of other motor disorders, which further confirms that it is unlikely that the stroke was the cause of damage to Leonardo’s hand.

Another evidence confirming the alternative version is a diary entry of one of Leonardo’s students about a visit to the artist’s house in 1517. The disciple Antonio de Beatis wrote: «you can Not expect better work from him, since his right hand is paralyzed. And although Messer Leonardo can no longer draw with his inherent sweetness, he can still create and teach others».

Experts believe that Leonardo da Vinci could leave the «Mona Lisa» unfinished due to injury of his right hand

«It would be interesting to examine Leonardo’s skeleton to verify at least the presence of fractures or injuries», – said Lazzeri.

The study may continue work on why Leonardo did not finish a number of paintings, including his portrait of the Mona Lisa.

«Five centuries after his death, during which thousands of scientists read his works, discussed his discoveries and explored his life from all points of view, there is still a lot that we need to learn about Leonardo da Vinci, a man of the Renaissance», – said Lazzery.

How Audrey Hepburn became an icon of style
5 fashion attributes associated with the name of the actress

Reading time 6 minutes

Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels. Filmography of star of the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” has more than 100 works. “Roman Holiday”, “Sabrina”, “Ondine” became classics of the golden era of Hollywood. But Audrey Hepburn admired the audience not only with her acting, but also with her style. Ballet shoes, cropped trousers, short hair, massive glasses and clothes from Givenchy invariably associated with her name.

Ballet flats

Image of Audrey Hepburn for the role in the film "Sabrina" — Image of Audrey Hepburn for the role in the film “Sabrina”

The actress in her youth was fond of ballet, so she loved ballet flats and loafers, which resembled pointe shoes. She preferred flat shoes (especially Tod’s) to heels. She wore this shoe both in movies and in everyday life.

Cropped trousers

Образ Одри Хепберн для фильма "Любовь после полудня" — Love in the Afternoon (1957) – Audrey Hepburn

In the 1950s and 1960s, two trends struggled for leadership in the fashion industry — a laconic beatnik style and an extravagant haute couture. The symbol of the first became short pants, in which Audrey Hepburn starred in “Sabrina” and “Funny Face”. The image she added ballet flats.

Short haircut

Одри Хепберн на съемках "Римских каникул" — Audrey Hepburn in the movie “Roman Holiday”

Ultrashort haircuts, pixie and bob became iconic in 1965 thanks to the British stylist Vidal Sassoon, “The Beatles of Hairdressing”, according to the NY Times. But the heroines of Audrey began experimenting with hair length even earlier. So, Audrey has no curls in “Roman holidays” of 1953 and “Sabrina” 1954. She follows the same tendency in the films “Love in the Afternoon” 1957, “How to Steal a Million” 1966 and “Two in a Way” 1967.

Massive glasses

Модель солнцезащитных очков "Manhattan" Oliver Goldsmith в фильме "Завтрак у Тиффани" — Sunglasses model “Manhattan” Oliver Goldsmith in the movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

In the early 1960s, Hollywood celebrities and Audrey Hepburn turned massive sunglasses into a trend. The actress favored the British brand Oliver Goldsmith. So in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” Holly Golightly appears in glasses with leopard rim and dark green glasses – this is the Manhattan model, which is confused with Ray-ban Waybarer. The main character of “How to Steal a Million” Nicole, and Yuhu Joanna in “Two on the Road” chose Koko in a white volume frame. All three vintage models can be purchased in brand boutiques.

Sunglasses “Yuhu” Oliver Goldsmith in the movie “Two on the Road”

Fashion house Givenchy

Audrey Hepburn was a muse and a close friend of designer Hubert de Givenchy. He created dozens of costumes for her heroine, including a lace veil, which the actress showed in the movie “How to Steal a Million”, and a miniature black dress with a cut on the back, which became the hallmark of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. Audrey has repeatedly said that the status of an icon of style is a merit of Hubert de Givenchy.

Одри Хепберн в фильме "Сабрина" — Audrey Hepburn in a Givenchy dress in the movie “Sabrina”

Many of the outfits created by this designer, entered the history of fashion. Sketches are often rethought, refined and reappeared on the podiums. Thus, a dress with a boat neckline, which the heroine “Sabrina” wears, formed the basis of the wedding dress of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex in 2018.

Свадебное платье герцогини Сассекской — Wedding dress of the Duchess of Sussex

The son of the actress, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, in a book devoted to his mother, “Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit”, tells the story of how Hubert de Givenchy provided a personal jet for his mother. She was diagnosed with a tumor at the age of 63. Doctors suggested that no more than 3 months left to live. Audrey’s only desire was to leave the California hospital, return to Switzerland and spend the Christmas holidays with her family. The flight would not have taken place without the help of friends Hubert de Givenchy and Bunny Mellon. The aircraft was lined with flowers. After the death of the actress, the designer was appointed the official manager of the inheritance.

Around the World with Dior: cruise shows from French Fashion House
A resort show of the brand took place in Marrakech on April 29

Reading time 4 minutes

The place of rendezvous for celebrity, VIP guests, stylists, journalists and other representatives of the fashion industry was the Palace of El-Badi, built in 1578. Models demonstrated clothing with ethnic music. The pond, lined with candles, was the setting for the podium. Fabrics with waxed prints, which incorporate the cultural code of African countries, have become the leitmotif of the show.

The destination for the third show with Maria Grazia Chiuri was not chosen by chance. 2020 collection is an homage to the work to Yves Saint Laurent, who drew inspiration in Morocco from the time of his debut work for the home.

Demonstration of resort clothing in Marrakech – this is not the first show of the brand abroad. Cruise collections more than once traveled beyond the borders of their native Paris for the 72-year history of the brand. In 1948, a year after the foundation of the house, Christian Dior launched the Resort and Spring project, the Russian media called it a cruise collection. Potential clients of the campaign are American women who like to spend their winter holidays on warm islands.

“If you travel a lot, you need compact clothes — lightweight and unshakable, which does not take up much space in a suitcase,” Christian Dior wrote in his “Little Fashion Dictionary”.

Christian Dior Resort 2007 in the time of John Galliano

John Galliano revived the tradition of cruise shows. The show took place in New York in 2006, after which Resort-collections became an obligatory part of the fashionable Dior calendar. Since then, the show has been demonstrated twice in New York in 2007 and 2008. The cruise collection visited Shanghai in 2009. In May 2015, Villa Palais Bulles, a futuristic sculpted mansion of the Hungarian architect Antti Lovag, was chosen as the showcase for the cruise collection. This mansion resembles a stretched mass of terracotta colored bubbles. Then Christian Dior fans were invited to the residence of the Dukes of Marlborough Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, where in 1954 Christian Dior made a show of the winter collection to raise funds for the British branch of the Red Cross.

Dior cruise collection at the Palais Bulles Villa

Maria Grazia Chiuri left the post of Valentino creative director and took the place of Raf Simons who left Dior in 2016. Her first cruise collection 2017 was held in the California desert, and the next one took the audience to the equestrian Palace of Chantilly, built by architect IV Auber. This estate played a big role in the history of the fashion house, Christian Dior called a bright symbol of the French savoir-vivre (“the art of living”).

Show of Dior cruise collection in the California desert

Do you want to drop everything? This is not laziness, this is procrastination!
Why do we put things off until later, and how can we overcome our reluctance to work?

Reading time 5 minutes

Why do students often postpone difficult cases? Study Mode conducted a survey of 1,300 students, and found out: 87% of respondents always delay in completing a task, leaving it for later. Psychologists call this phenomenon procrastination. Sometimes this phenomenon is called a manifestation of weakness and laziness, but in fact, procrastination has deeper roots.

Why do we procrastinate?

Brain is to blame for the fact that man procrastinates. This conclusion was made by researchers from the Ruhr University. They used 264 volunteers, examined them with an MRI. Then the participants filled out a questionnaire in which they appreciated how they can control their emotions. Research has shown that some people have a much larger amygdala than others. This gland is responsible for controlling emotions. It means that it is difficult for a person to cope with his feelings.

In addition, this part of the brain of procrastinators has a weak connection with the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, which chooses what we should do. Normally, the interaction of the tonsil and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex helps us to complete our tasks and enjoy the process at the same time. Each action of procrastinators is the result of a struggle between these two parts of the brain.

One of the most unpleasant features of procrastination is a constant feeling of guilt and dissatisfaction with yourself. Deferred cases are done in a hurry – these actions affect the result and our well-being. There is a reluctance to take on new things. It turns out a vicious circle, and getting out of it is not so easy.

How to overcome procrastination?

At first glance, it is impossible to overcome procrastination, because for this it is necessary to correct those parts of the brain that are responsible for it. You can’t change the brain, but you can cheat it.

Understand your task. We put things on a back burner, because the task seems to us simply incomprehensible. Students, for example, are afraid of a blank sheet. In fact, the task only seems so impracticable. It is enough to single out the purpose of the task, divide it into components and solve it in parts.
Work for periods. A common problem of procrastinators is the inability to think for a long time. As soon as we begin to perform tasks, we immediately get tired. It is necessary to set a timer and work, for example, 25 minutes. The main thing is not to make indulgences and not to finish the work earlier.
Minimize distractions. Put your phone in flight mode so that you will not be disturbed by calls and messages. Work in a place where no one will disturb you, and concentrate fully on the task.
Kindle your interest. Obviously, to perform tasks that are beyond your interests is difficult. But the brain can be deceived: it is enough to spend a few minutes writing a script in which this experience will definitely come in handy in the future. In addition, you can encourage yourself for work. When you solve a problem, watch a movie or go for a walk with friends.

The cult series “Game of Thrones” comes to an end
What is the secret of the phenomenal success of the fantastic saga?

Reading time 4 minutes

The HBO television company has launched the final season of the top-rated series “Game of Thrones”. Usually the next season had to wait no more than 12 months. However, this time it took two years to shoot the eighth season. It was risky, but the creators calculated everything exactly: interest in the series only increased.

The eighth season came out on April 14 and has already set two absolute records. In the USA, the premiere of the new season was watched by 17.4 million viewers. And they did not forget to write about it: on Twitter, the first series became the most mentioned, about 5 million tweets were dedicated to the “Games”.

“Game of Thrones” is a historical series with elements of fantasy and exciting drama. The legendary saga tells about the struggle for power over the fictional continent of Västerås. This place resembles Western Europe in the Middle Ages. Three dynasties encroach upon the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms: Starkey, Targaryen, and Lannister. However, they are prevented by the risen dead under the leadership of the King of Night. Only by combining all the forces, people will be able to overcome the absolute evil. Or will not be able to overcome – this is what we will see in the final season.

The storyline of the series is very saturated, but this is not the reason for the success of the saga. On the one hand, this is a mix of cruelty, intrigue and explicit scenes. But on the other hand, the main trump card of the “Game of Thrones” remains its dramaturgy. In the “Game of Thrones” more than 1000 heroes, and there is not a single central or strictly positive. Empathy and interest are heroes, despite the immoral acts. We also never know who will be killed this time – the authors have removed more than half of the cast in seven seasons. In Australia there is a cemetery where the graves of the fallen heroes are located.

“Come and pay homage to the Grave of Thrones,” wrote the Foxtel team in the Instagram account, the company that created the cemetery.

According to the associate professor of the Higher School of Economics Pavel Rodkin, the series has become a significant cultural phenomenon. The authors of the saga skillfully use images that live in the consciousness and in the subconscious of the modern viewer.

“The reason for the popularity of the “Game of Thrones”, in my opinion, is that it collects all genres in some post-modern way: history, political intrigue, fantasy, and also collects all the archetypes that are significant for modern society,” says Pavel Rodkin.

The global phenomenon of the “Game of Thrones” has a multi-million dollar fandom and is well received in wide circles. Critics also appreciate it: in 2015, an Emmy series won in 12 out of 24 nominations. And this is not all the titles of this saga. “Game of Thrones” was the most watched TV series channel HBO and the most expensive project on modern television (last season cost more than $ 100 million). Finally, this is the most popular pirated content. This record is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Exposure, shutter speed, aperture, ISO: how to deal with it
Cheat notes for a beginning photographer

Reading time 6 minutes

The cherished dream has finally come true: you are holding a new camera and ready to click everything. There is only one problem – you see one thing, and the camera – quite another, it ruthlessly spoils the whole picture! In this case, however, it is not the camera, it is the ability to work with it. And there is not enough knowledge about what a matrix and what a lens, will have to study a few more concepts.

Exposition

The first term that any user who has picked up a professional camera faces is exposure. In simple words, the exposure is the amount of light that falls on the matrix of the camera at the time of shooting. Thus, it is responsible for the saturation of the photo, so first of all you should learn how to work with the exposure.

To determine the exposure parameters, it is necessary to deal with the exposure meter – a scale on the screen that shows how accurately the exposure is built. If the runner leaves plus – there is a lot of light, if the negative – few. If the slider is near zero, the exposure is correct.

The secret of correct exposure is that to configure it you need two parameters aperture and shutter speed together – expopair. In the following table you can easily identify the cases in which the ratio of the aperture and shutter speed matched right: cells of the same color located in one diagonal indicate the correct exposure value.

Aperture

The hole in the lens through which light enters the camera body is called the aperture. It adjusts the brightness of the picture, it can be used to take light pictures even in a dimly lit room and Vice versa. There are 13 aperture values, the higher this value – the more the aperture is closed, in the picture it is shown as follows:

Advises

the two most popular types of photography are landscape and portrait. To shoot a landscape, it is better to use a closed aperture (from f/8), then it will be clear, for shooting a portrait, an open aperture (f/1,4 – 3,5) will be more suitable, it will help to make the background more blurred and create the famous bokeh effect;
if you’re shooting a pair, the ideal aperture value would be f/5.6, and for a group of people – f/8, however, in poor lighting, you should use an additional flash light;
in poor lighting conditions suitable aperture value f/2,8, in bright light at f/16.

Shutter speed

Another term – shutter speed – means the time during which the camera shutter is open, and the light hits the matrix. Shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second, long shutter speed is used for static images, and short shutter speed is used for dynamic images. However, there is an interesting technique: shooting fast motion with long exposure creates the effect of a blurred trail behind the object.

The use of long exposure is justified in two cases: in poor lighting or to create a motion effect (for example, it is better to shoot a waterfall jet at a long exposure). In other cases, it is better to use a short exposure.

ISO

Light sensitivity (or ISO) is the speed at which the matrix records information about the amount of light. But the faster the light is fixed, the more graphic information it will lose. The light sensitivity setting is useful if you need certain shutter speed and aperture values in low light. Increasing the ISO in this case will give the necessary exposure, but the fee for increasing the sensitivity will increase the grain of the frame.

Tip: even if you shoot in the dark, you should set the light sensitivity not higher than 200-400 to reduce the amount of grain, and if in a well-lit room – you should bring the ISO to a minimum.

The ability to work with the basic settings of the camera significantly improve the result of shooting. And with experience, knowledge of settings for specific situations and understanding of the features of your camera will appear.

There were more of us than we thought!
A new species of human was discovered in the Philippine cave

Reading time 5 minutes

During excavations in the Philippines, scientists discovered bones and teeth of a presumably new species of man. Based on fragments of bones and teeth found on the island of Luzon, the researchers established that our distant relatives were just over a meter tall and had several APE-like features.

Archaeologist Armand Salvador Mijares made the first discovery in 2007. He was excavating a cave in Callao and found a finger bone. «There’s something wrong with that bone»,- he told NPR, and continued digging.

Callao caves on the island of Luzon, where scientists discovered the remains of ancient people (Photo: archaeologists of the Callao cave)

In the study published in the journal Nature, scientists describe a finding of seven teeth and six bones that belonged to at least three human individuals. They were found in the cave in 2007, 2011 and 2015. Tests on two samples determined the approximate age of the fossils which was 50 000-67 000 years. This finding is another reminder that we, Homo sapiens, are the only surviving species of our branch on the evolutionary tree.

A range of upper teeth of Homo luzonensis (Photo: archaeologists of the Callao cave)

Expert Matthew Tohiri of the University of Lakehead in thunder Bay (Ontario), says that the discovery makes the origin of man in Asia «more confusing, more complex and much more interesting».

Analysis of bones from Luzon showed that they belonged to a previously unknown link Homo of our branch of the family tree. According to the researchers, the type and shape of the bones are different from what was found earlier in the family Homo. The new species was given the name Homo luzonensis.

Toe bone belonging to Homo luzonensis (Photo: archaeologists of the Callao cave)

One of the authors of the study, Florent Detroit from the National Museum of natural history in Paris, reported that the found species of man used stone tools. Since the teeth found were small, the species most likely had a small height.

Luzonensis Homo were living in Eastern Asia about the same time as other members of the branch of Homo, including Neanderthals, their obscure Siberian cousins the denisovans and hobbits miniature from the island of Flores in Indonesia.

There is no indication that Homo luzonensis has crossed paths with any other member of the Homo group, Detroit pointed out in an email to the Associated Press. He added that some human relative had been on Luzon more than 700,000 years ago, as evidenced by the presence of stone tools and the found skeleton of a butchered rhinoceros Dating back to the same time. It could be a new species or its ancestor.

It is not clear how Homo luzonensis is related to other Homo species. The species could have originated from an earlier human ancestor, Homo erectus, who somehow crossed the sea and ended up in Luzon.

Michael Petraglia of the German max Planck Institute believes that the discovery of Luzon «shows that we still know very little about human evolution, especially in Asia». More such discoveries are likely to emerge during further work in a region that has not yet been sufficiently explored.