Screenshot via Barcroft TV. A brand-new species of human ancestor has been identified from a wealth of bones in a cave in South Africa. The new species, Homo naledi, likely lived 2.5 to 2.8 million years ago, at the very root of the Homo lineage.
Meet the newest, ancient member of the family #HomoNaledihttp://t.co/SouwiZ5lt5pic.twitter.com/aXgrZsVALN
— New Scientist (@newscientist) September 10, 2015
The bones were found behind a limestone wall in the Rising Star cave. In all, more than 1,550 fossil pieces representing at least 15 individuals have been recovered, and more are expected to lie in the soft dirt. That makes H. naledi one of the best-known fossil members of our lineage. The name naledi means “star” in Sesotho, a local South African language — a nod to the cave where the species was found. The scientists announced the discovery in two
published this week in the open-access journal ...
