10 Homo Naledi Discovery Facts - WMNews Ep. 45

10 Homo Naledi Discovery Facts - WMNews Ep. 45

#10: What Is Homo Naledi?
The Species

Homo Naledi is an early member of the hominin group, which also includes modern humans, extinct human species such as the Neanderthals and human ancestor species. H. Naledi has been grouped in the same genus as humans - Homo Sapiens - and is potentially the oldest example of ‘modern’ humankind ever discovered. Its discovery was announced in the scientific journal “eLife” and the subject of the documentary “Dawn of Humanity” in September 2015. H. Naledi could predate modern humans by between 2 and 3 million years, with some calling it the most important human fossil discovery of the last 5 decades as it could be a crucial bridge species between the closest non-human hominin genus - the more ape-like Australopithecus - and the evolution of our own Homo genus.

#9: Where Was Homo Naledi Discovered?
The Rising Star Cave

Evidence of H. Naledi was found in an area of South Africa often labeled as the ‘Cradle of Humankind’, because of the major anthropological finds that have been made there in the past. It was excavated out of the extremely well hidden and difficult to reach Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system, situated almost 100 feet underground and over 30 miles from Johannesburg. The initial discovery was actually made accidentally by recreational cavers, Steven Tucker and Rick Hunter in 2013. The pair was searching for a less well-trodden path within the Rising Star system, and happened across a gap in the rock, which they themselves were only just small enough to navigate.

#8: What Was Discovered?
The Fossils

In all, around 1,550 bones and individual fossil specimens were unearthed from the site, forming fifteen skeletons. And, the suggestion is that more will likely be found in the future. Male and female examples have been identified, as well as the bones of infants, the young, and the elderly. In terms of sheer size, it’s the largest set of human fossils ever found in Africa, and given the mixture of gender and age group, it has already been described as ‘the richest assemblage of associated fossil hominins ever discovered’ on the continent.

#7: What Does Homo Naledi Look Like?
The Skull

H. Naledi is a combination of characteristics from the Homo genus and the Australopithecus. Its feet and long legs indicate that it was capable of walking or running long distances, while the build-up of its shoulders and a slight curl to its fingers suggest a more primitive ability to climb. Experts have especially debated the skull, however, which is notably small and has led the species to be labeled ‘pinheads’. The braincases are less than half the size of our own, and only just over half the size of the average Homo Erectus. Essentially, the brain capacity does not directly match H. Naledi’s apparent physical capabilities. The size of the discovered braincases has sparked a debate among paleoanthropologists about whether or not this new species should even be grouped in the Homo genus at all.

#6: Who Excavated the Site?
The Team

The lead paleoanthropologist was Lee Berger, a previously well-known name within the field because of past work at South Africa’s Malapa Fossil Site, which is found within the Cradle of Humankind. Upon hearing of the Dinaledi Chamber discovery in 2013, and realizing how inaccessible the site was, Berger advertised across social media for scientifically capable cavers ‘willing to work in cramped conditions’. It’s only possible for the slenderest of people to navigate into the chamber, and so Berger rounded his search for workers down to six female scientists - the cleverest, smallest workforce he could find. They were dubbed Berger’s ‘underground astronauts’.

#5: How Old Is Homo Naledi?
The Research

The age of the H. Naledi has proven especially difficult to determine, given that the bones were found lying loose on the cave floor, or covered by a very thin layer of sediment. Usually, age is calculated in relation to the age of the rock that surrounds a fossil. With H. Naledi, there is no such possibility. Morphologically - in terms of its shape and structure - Berger might’ve found the very beginning of the human form as we know it. On the other hand, he might’ve discovered a younger, primitive species. At most, H. Naledi could be 3 million years old, at least a mere, but equally insightful 100,000.

#4: Are There Human Characteristics?
The Burial

Another equally curious element to the find surrounds how exactly the bones came to be where they were found. The site is extremely difficult to access, even for a modern day team, let alone for a less developed people. Berger’s own suggestion is that the bones of dead bodies were deposited there, as part of a ritualistic process. As a way of dealing with their dead, H. Naledi placed their deceased into the chamber, leaving them out of sight, and out of mind.
If true, this act of burial demonstrates a remarkably modern human understanding of death, and an almost philosophical attitude toward it. This is a shocking development, as for many years anthropologists assumed that only homo sapiens had the kind of spiritual life that would lead them to bury their dead. This discovery may have huge repercussions in the field of anthropology. Critics of this theory are already calling for the discovery of another, more accessible entrance as a more plausible explanation, however – though as of mid-September 2015, nothing had yet been found.

#3: Where Does Homo Naledi Fit on the Timeline of Human Evolution?
The Genus

With an initially indecipherable age, the H. Naledi could be placed almost anywhere upon the Homo genus, or possibly even beyond. Because of its combination of modern and primitive characteristics, some commentators are already comparing the find to the 1974 discovery of the Australopithecus ‘Lucy’. Naledi could be the closest Homo find to ‘Lucy’, and could therefore fit at the very beginning of human evolution. However, the fossils’ anatomy is probably closest to that of Homo examples from around 2-2.5 million years ago, which were alive during a transitional period for the genus, and that possibly predate the Homo Erectus. If the bones are found to be any younger, then the repercussions are that a primitive species co-existed alongside a modernizing one for far longer than we had previously thought.

#2: What Is the Earliest Species of the Homo Genus?
The Homo Habilis

Should H. Naledi be identified as the earliest species of the Homo genus, it will then wrestle the mantle away from Homo habilis. Until now thought of as the earliest stage on the spectrum, Habilis is thought to look and behave least similarly to modern humans in comparison to other species. It has, in fact, perpetually had its place on the timeline debated. However, evidence of tools used and its more human-like facial structure has ensured its classification remains intact thus far.

#1: Does the Homo Naledi Find Change the Theory of Human Evolution?
The Future

The discovery of this new species, which was announced in September 2015, could potentially change the theory of human evolution in a big way. The Homo Naledi discovery could provide a brand new foundation for scientific thought and research regarding the ancient history of our species. The main drawback is that conclusive evidence on its place in history has so far been hard to come by. The fossils are old, but, until the bones are firmly dated, no one can be quite sure just how old. However, Berger himself underlines the importance of the find, explaining that ‘No matter what the age, it will have a tremendous impact’. It’s difficult to disagree with that.