New haul of Homo naledi bones sheds surprising light on human evolution

[muriel_volestrangler]

In work published on Tuesday in the journal eLife, the team reveals how high that pile has become. They now have the remnants of at least 18 Homo naledi, as the species is named. The most recent haul of bones, found in a cave chamber 100 metres from the first, includes a nearly complete adult skull.
...
Homo naledi stood about 150cm tall fully grown and weighed about 45kg. But it is extraordinary for its mixture of ancient and modern features. It has a small brain and curved fingers that are well-adapted for climbing, but the wrists, hands, legs and feet are more like those found on Neanderthals or modern humans. If the dating is accurate, Homo naledi may have emerged in Africa about two million years ago but held on to some of its more ancient features even as modern humans evolved.
...
No stone tools have ever been found with Homo naledi bones, but Stringer does not rule out the possibility that the species may have made them. “It seems highly likely that its handiwork is present in the archaeological record of southern Africa, but currently unattributed,” he said.

Another question raised by the remains is how they got to their final resting place. Berger does not believe that the creatures got there by accident. “I think the discovery of this second chamber adds to the idea that Homo naledi deliberately disposed of its dead in the deep underground chambers in the Rising Star cave system,” he said. “I can’t see any other way, other than them going into these remote chambers themselves and bringing bodies in.” To do that, he suspects, they were also able to control fire.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/may/09/new-haul-of-homo-naledi-bones-sheds-surprising-light-on-human-evolution

[longship]

1. An amazing story.

Last edited Tue May 9, 2017, 06:32 AM - Edit history (4)

Here is the discovery cave. Note the less than ten inch gap at Dragon's Back that had to be traversed, much smaller than guys could manage, with a long drop at the end.


Here are the six women who squeezed into the Homo Naledi chamber.

They were specifically selected for their spelunking abilities, their small stature, their lack of claustrophobia, and their abilities in physical anthropology. BTW, they were all volunteers.

This is an absolutely incredible story.

Highly recommended!



BTW, 20 cm is 7.87 inches. These women squeezed through such a narrow gap! An astounding accomplishment on its own! Then there's their discovery.

SCIENCE RULES!

Here's coverage in "The Guardian" (UK):
Small Spelunkers Required... This is an incredible story.

[Le Gaucher]

2. Small brains?? Are you sure a naledi isn't currently occupying the WH?

[gordianot]

3. I would bet they had larger hands as well as other attributes.

Amazing that the Orange one so easily elicits such low level childish insults. Trump does not bode well for our species of human.