Callao Man
Encyclopedia
Callao man refers to fossilized remains discovered in Callao Cave
, Peñablanca, Cagayan
(The Philippines) in 2007 by Armand Salvador Mijares. Specifically, the find consisted of a single 61 milimeter metatarsal which, when dated using uranium series ablation, was found to be at least about 67,000 years old. If definitively proven to be remains of Homo sapiens, it would antedate the 47,000 year old remains of Tabon Man
to become the earliest human remains known in the Philippines, and one of the oldest human remains in the Asia Pacific.
, the Biological classification
of Callao Man is uncertain. The metatarsal bone discovered (Right MT3 — the small bone from the end of the middle toe of the right foot) has been identified as coming from a species
of genus
Homo
, but the exact species classification is uncertain. It has been speculated that Callao Man may be Homo sapiens, or may be Homo floresiensis
, though the latter is sometimes treated as a subspecies
or a pathological specimen of the former.
Butchered animal remains were also found in the same layer of sediment, which indicates that the Callao Man had a degree of knowledge in the use of tools, although no stone tools were found. This led to speculations about the use of organic tools such as bamboo, which is abundant in the region up to this day.
Callao Cave
Callao Cave is a cave with seven chambers located on the Province of Cagayan, in the Philippines. It is one of the best known tourist attractions of the province...
, Peñablanca, Cagayan
Peñablanca, Cagayan
Peñablanca is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 40,336 people in 6,690 households.-Barangays:Peñablanca is divided into 24 barangays.* Aggugaddan* Alimanao...
(The Philippines) in 2007 by Armand Salvador Mijares. Specifically, the find consisted of a single 61 milimeter metatarsal which, when dated using uranium series ablation, was found to be at least about 67,000 years old. If definitively proven to be remains of Homo sapiens, it would antedate the 47,000 year old remains of Tabon Man
Tabon Man
Tabon Man refers to fossilized anatomically modern human remains discovered on the island of Palawan in the Philippines on May 28, 1962 by Dr. Robert B. Fox, an American anthropologist of the National Museum of the Philippines...
to become the earliest human remains known in the Philippines, and one of the oldest human remains in the Asia Pacific.
, the Biological classification
Biological classification
Biological classification, or scientific classification in biology, is a method to group and categorize organisms by biological type, such as genus or species. Biological classification is part of scientific taxonomy....
of Callao Man is uncertain. The metatarsal bone discovered (Right MT3 — the small bone from the end of the middle toe of the right foot) has been identified as coming from a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Homo
Homo
Homo may refer to:*the Greek prefix ὅμο-, meaning "the same"*the Latin for man, human being*Homo, the taxonomical genus including modern humans...
, but the exact species classification is uncertain. It has been speculated that Callao Man may be Homo sapiens, or may be Homo floresiensis
Homo floresiensis
Homo floresiensis is a possible species, now extinct, in the genus Homo. The remains were discovered in 2003 on the island of Flores in Indonesia. Partial skeletons of nine individuals have been recovered, including one complete cranium...
, though the latter is sometimes treated as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
or a pathological specimen of the former.
Description
The primary theory surrounding the migration of Callao Man and his contemporaries to Luzon from what is believed to be the present-day Indonesia is by raft. It is notable that the approximate time this happened is, according to experts, prior to the point when human beings were thought to be capable of making long voyages across the sea.Butchered animal remains were also found in the same layer of sediment, which indicates that the Callao Man had a degree of knowledge in the use of tools, although no stone tools were found. This led to speculations about the use of organic tools such as bamboo, which is abundant in the region up to this day.