Mystery Species of Human Relative Discovered: Homo Naledi

In summary, new discoveries have been made about the mysterious hominin species Homo Naledi, with more fossils being identified in South Africa. These human relatives were alive around 335,000 to 226,000 years ago and may have coexisted with modern humans. The initial discovery in 2013-2014 yielded over 1,500 fossils, making it the largest collection of a single species of ancient human relatives in Africa. Further information can be found in a recent Science magazine discussion on the topic. It is a remarkable find, considering it was uncovered during a simple caving expedition.
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Evo
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It will be interesting to see what comes of this.

Homo Naledi: Mystery human species lived alongside Homo Sapiens

More fossils of the mysterious hominin species Homo Naledi have been identified in the Rising Star Cave system in South Africa, scientists have announced. They say that these human relatives were alive between 335,000 and 226,000 years ago, and likely lived alongside modern humans.

Remains of H. Naledi were first discovered between 2013 and 2014, deep in a South African cave. At the time, researchers unearthed more than 1,500 fossils representing at least 15 individuals – the largest collection of a single species of ancient human relatives ever found on the African continent.


https://www.yahoo.com/news/homo-naledi-mystery-human-species-091635429.html
 
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Likes Fervent Freyja, jim mcnamara and BillTre
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Here is a more extensive Science mag. discussion of the recently released information.
It also has links to the original papers.
 
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An amazing find! I remember reading the articles about the original discovery. Who'd have thought a little spelunking would turn up so much?
 

1. What is Homo Naledi?

Homo Naledi is a newly discovered species of human relative that lived in South Africa about 335,000-236,000 years ago. It is believed to have coexisted with early Homo sapiens and was a small-bodied, primitive hominin.

2. How was Homo Naledi discovered?

The fossils of Homo Naledi were first discovered in 2013 in a cave system called Rising Star in South Africa. The initial excavation was conducted by a team of scientists led by paleoanthropologist Lee Berger. Subsequent expeditions in 2014 and 2015 uncovered more fossils and helped to identify the new species.

3. What makes Homo Naledi unique?

Homo Naledi is unique in several ways. It has a small brain size, but its body structure suggests it was capable of complex movements and behaviors. It also has a unique combination of primitive and modern features, making it a possible transitional species between earlier hominins and modern humans.

4. Why is the discovery of Homo Naledi significant?

The discovery of Homo Naledi is significant because it adds to our understanding of human evolution and the diversity of hominin species that existed in the past. It also challenges our previous assumptions about the complexity and diversity of early humans and their relatives.

5. What are the implications of this discovery?

The discovery of Homo Naledi has several implications for the field of paleoanthropology. It suggests that there may have been more species of human relatives living in Africa than previously thought. It also raises questions about the behavior and lifestyle of this species, and the possibility of interbreeding and genetic exchange with other hominin species.

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