Explain Fossils capture our imagination, giving us
a glimpse into the past. While many of the
more mysterious fossils have been explained by
now, a few remain a total enigma, with theories ranging from giants to missing link humans. Hi! I am Mister Mysterious and I welcome you to
Mysterious5. In this video, we’ll take a look at some
of the most mysterious fossil discoveries science can’t explain. Enjoy! FIVE: Homo Naledi Homo Naledi is an extinct species related
to humans, whose fossil skeletons were found in the Rising Star Cave system, in 2013, near
Johannesburg. This discovery caused massive excitement among
anthropologists, who flocked to this location to start looking for additional fossils. They unveiled more than 1,500 human fossils
representing some 15 individuals, both male and female, young and old. Today, this is one of the richest assemblages
of human fossils ever found. The team was able to deduce the bones belonged
to a new species, which had a curious mix of primitive traits, such as a tiny brain,
and modern features, including long legs. They determined that these individuals were
capable climbers and long-distance walkers. Still, the scientists were unable to determine
when exactly this species lived. The creature’s primitive characteristics
suggested it was very old. But its modern traits, along with the condition
of the bones, which seemed to be barely fossilized, hinted that Homo Naledi lived more recently. Some of the newest reports are saying that
these human fossils are between 230,000 and 330,000 years old. This raises intriguing questions about the
origins and evolution of our own species. This isn’t only shaking up the family tree
of human evolution, but also questions our ideas about the behavior and cognitive abilities
of primitive human species. FOUR: Tully Monster Discovered in 1955 by collector Francis Tully,
the first Tully Monster fossil completely defied explanation. Paleontologists eagerly wanted to place the
fossil within well-known classifications, but nobody could figure out what the monster
was actually related to. Francis Tully took the fossil to the Field
Museum in Chicago, seeking some answers. Other collectors quickly found one specimen
after another, and very soon, hundreds ended up at the Field Museum. Even though we still don't know much about
this creature, scientists believe that the Tully Monster is a close relative of modern
lampreys. This is a nightmarish, blood-sucking fish
that looks like a toothed suction cup. But although the Tully Monster is a lamprey
in its heart, it looks nothing like one from the inside. Its body is short and stout. Its eyes sit at the end of a rigid bar. Some of the newest findings are saying that
this creature had gills and a notochord, which functioned as a rudimentary spinal cord. Some key questions about this strange creature
remain unanswered. No one knows when this animal first appeared
on Earth or when it went extinct. The true nature of the Tully monster is a
mystery. THREE: Ancient Giant Armadillo While out on a Christmas day stroll along
a stream to the south of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jose Antonio Nievas spotted something peculiar
sticking out of a riverbank. The object was greenish and pebbly, and at
first, Nievas thought he had discovered an enormous dinosaur egg. He was wrong. With a little more excavation, the unusual
find turned out to be something much more recent: a nearly complete shell of a beast
that trundled around South America over 10,000 years ago. Exactly what species of mammal Nievas discovered
is yet to be determined. Some of the early reports by paleontologists
say that this might be a glyptodont. It turns out that there’s nothing quite
like a glyptodont alive today. While they are similar to armadillos in having
a very strong armor made of bone, the glyptodonts have a different kind of shell. Many glyptodonts had caps of bone over their
skulls to help protect them from jaguars, saber-toothed cats, and other predators. Ultimately, though, all the glyptodonts died
out. The very last of their kind disappeared by
about 10,000 years ago, with climate change and ecological disturbance. In case this mysterious-looking fossil turns
out to be a glyptodont, this discovery will be of great value to biologists and paleontologists. TWO: Indonesian Hobbit In 2016, buried 6 feet beneath a volcanic
rock on the Indonesian island of Flores, scientists have found the fossilized remains of a petite
hominin that lived 700,000 years ago. The discovery consisted of just six tiny teeth
and a fragment of a small lower jawbone. However, this was enough to give the scientists
a clue that these mysterious-looking bones could belong to a direct ancestor of the strange
and diminutive human relative called Homo Floresiensis, also known as the “Hobbit”. The world was first introduced to this species
in 2004 when an international team of researchers announced the discovery of a never-before-seen
hominin that had been found in the Liang Bua cave of Flores. These ancient human relatives lived between
50,000 and 100,000 years ago. They stood just 3,5 feet tall, which is the
height of an average 4-year-old modern-day child. Their brains were roughly one-third the size
of our own, or about the size of a chimpanzee’s brain. What is interesting here is that the newest
discovery might be another proof that the Hobbit is actually Homo Erectus, who is directly
related to modern-day humans. It is believed that Homo Erectus may have
arrived at this island from Java after being washed out to sea by a tsunami. Over time, this species began to shrink on
its new island home – which actually is a common phenomenon known as island dwarfism. As scientists believe, lots of animals that
end up on islands get smaller for a variety of reasons like limited food
sources, or because there are no large predators to stay big for. Either way, we are still far from learning
what happened to this species. The Hobbit might prove that human diversity
could be far greater than we ever realized. ONE: The Nevada Giants Many Native American tribes tell stories about
the long-forgotten existence of humans that were much taller and stronger than ordinary
men. These giants are described as both brave and
barbaric, and legends often mention their cruelty. The Paiute, a tribe that settled in the Nevada
region thousands of years ago, refer to these red-haired giants as Si-Te-Cah. As odd as it may sound, this legend repeats
itself all over the Americas, suggesting that it might be an incomplete chronicle of a real
event that happened a long time ago. Settlers to the West did not originally believe
the Native Americans, dismissing the legends as pointless stories. That changed in 1911 when miners discovered
Lovelock Cave. The cave was huge, and the miners could see
that it was previously inhabited. When they started digging, they discovered
hundreds of well-preserved ancient artifacts. For example, a pair of 15-inch-long sandals
was an intriguing find. Furthermore, a number of huge bones were discovered
that had to come from people nearly ten feet tall. Digging also revealed fossilized handprints
that were much bigger than any human handprint. Another dig that happened in 1931 revealed
a set of equally-disturbing finds. According to an article published in the Nevada
Review-Miner, two giant skeletons had been found buried in a dry lake bed close to Lovelock. The over-sized remains that measured 10 feet
in height were mummified in a manner similar to the one employed by ancient Egyptians. Another common trait between these mummified
giants remains is the presence of red hair. Today, we don’t know what happened to these
mummified remains. However, several artifacts can be viewed in
Winnemucca, Nevada at the Humboldt Museum. Even though the oddly-shaped skulls aren’t
on public display, if you ask to view them – you’ll likely be able to. Now that you know a bit about five of the
most mysterious fossil discoveries, what is your opinion? You probably agree when I say that we are
far from knowing all about mysterious creatures that roamed the Earth. If you find it interesting, share and like
this video. Also, be sure to subscribe because you don’t
want to miss what is coming next. As always, thank you for watching.
