Cave women unearth skull of unknown human ancestor

[FarCenter]

An all-woman team of spelunking scientists has retrieved hundreds of fossils from a 100-foot-deep (30-meter-deep) cave in South Africa — including the cranium from what appears to be a prehistoric humanlike creature.

Friday's retrieval of the skull was a climactic moment for the three-week expedition to the Rising Star Cave in South Africa's Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, just 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Johannesburg.

...


The call went out for scientists to join the expedition. Some of the top experts in paleoanthropology, such as the University of Wisconsin's John Hawks and Duke University's Steven Churchill, joined the team. But the scientists tapped to go into the cave and bring up the fossils were required to have an almost superhuman combination of talents.

They had to have a master's degree or Ph.D. in paleontology, archaeology or an associated field. They had to be experienced cavers. And they had to be able to fit through a 7-inch-wide (18-centimeter-wide) choke point in the passage leading to the chamber. Fifty-seven qualified researchers applied for the job. Six were chosen: Lindsay Eaves, Marina Elliott, Elen Feuerriegel, Alia Gurtov, Hannah Morris and Becca Peixotto.

"It ended up that the most qualified human beings on this planet to do this very dangerous, very remarkable job were young women," Berger said in a video profile of the "underground astronauts."

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/cave-women-unearth-skull-unknown-human-ancestor-2D11603661

[MerryBlooms]

1. Wow

[starroute]

7. You'd do better to get the story directly from National Geographic

This is the link for everything at their site tagged as Rising Star Expedition -- including plenty of videos.

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/tag/rising-star-expedition/

[longship]

2. Sounds like a Weekly World News headline.

(Just got through posting a couple of WWN posts in another thread. Couldn't help myself.)

Alright! Here ya go.

Any WWN cover about Steven Hawking has to be gold, even if it's fake.


And who couldn't get into an exploding moon. Shades of Moon Base Alpha. Is Martin Landau still alive?


Ah! At least Abe Vigoda is: Abe Vigoda status.

[dimbear]

3. I've read the world's saddest book, "The Sorrows of Werther" and survived.

It's true it caused a wave of suicides.

[daleo]

5. Jude the Obscure is a classic too

Never read it, but that seems to a common observation - very depressing.

[cui bono]

4. Why? Is it unbelievable? n/t

[dflprincess]

8. We used to pick up a copy of the Weekly World News on the way to my friend's cabin.

It could keep us amused all weekend - especially when accompanied by herbal refreshment.

My favorite story was about a woman who was molested by an octopus... "I felt dirty", said the victim.

[Iggo]

10. We'd do the same.

Straight up giggle-fest.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. Admit it. You thought of this...

[Arugula Latte]

9. So. F@#$ing. Cool.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. I love this stuff.