Archaeologists and Anthropologists at a joint dig in the Sierra Nevada mountain range west of San Francisco, California have discovered a new sub-species of human being. Preliminary carbon dating of the fossilized remains and dating of the source material found with the body place the age of the skeleton at about 150,000 years B.C. (before the age of Homo Sapiens Neanderthalus, more commonly known as Neanderthal Man).
Dr. Lawrence Mead of Stanford University, the team heading up the dig, has decided to name his primary specimen Brucie (a reference to the famous "Lucy" skeleton discovered by Dr. Louis Leakey). He has also given the remains the temporary designation of Homo Limpristus due to the slight curvature of the arm bones (including the ulna).
A second male, found buried in the clay at the same sight, though not as well preserved, has simply been named "Clay." The two bodies were wrapped together, suggesting that they were either buried together or killed at the same time while together and covered by some natural cause (flooding, earthquake, volcanic activity, etc.).
Homo Limpristus was civilized enough to wear clothing, as leather fibers were discovered with the skeleton. The shape of the jaw and teeth suggest that they would speak with a lisp. Dye fragments with the fossilized remains suggest that they painted their nails and possibly clothing (the color was a light reddish hue that could almost be described as pink). Other items found near the bodies suggest that the proto-human carried something resembling a purse that was made from animal skins. Inside of the bag were found necklaces made of bead and bone, suggesting that the Homo Limpristus decorated themselves in this way also (Note: Anthropologists have not determined if these had a religious significance or were just ornamental.
Scientists have yet to determine what made the species die out and may not determine this until they find more fossil evidence.
Homo Limpristus joins the other species that were thought to bring the evolution from ape to man. These begin with Ramapithicus and Sivapithacus and move through the Australeopiticenes to Homo Habilus, Homo Erectus, and Homo Sapiens Neanderthalus to Homo Sapiens Sapiens (modern man).
