Johannesburg: Scientists have discovered a new species in the human family tree — a small creature with a tiny brain — after examining a huge haul of fossilised bones found in a dark chamber of a South African cave, raising intriguing questions about our evolutionary past.

The species, found in the cave, shows a surprising mix of human-like and more primitive features. Researchers believe that the bodies appear to have been deposited in the cave intentionally. Pics/AFP