Current Event Thursday!
New human species found in South African cave!
Read all about the recent discovery in South Africa!
Scientists have discovered a new species of human ancestor deep in a South African cave, adding a baffling new branch to the family tree.
What a discovery!
This is the story of one of the greatest fossil discoveries of the past half century, and of what it might mean for our understanding of human evolution.
Homo naledi
While primitive in some respects, the face, skull, and teeth show enough modern features to justify H. naledi's placement in the genus Homo. Artist Gurche spent some 700 hours reconstructing the head from bone scans, using bear fur for hair!!!! OMG!!
Half ape, half human?
Homo naledi, as they call it, appears very primitive in some respects—it had a tiny brain, for instance, and apelike shoulders for climbing.
The Skull
This picture shows a comparison of a modern Homo sapiens skull to Homo naledi
This discovery may provide a better link between the Australopithecus species and Homo our species!
The Rising Star Cave!
Sunlight falls through the entrance of Rising Star cave, near Johannesburg. A remote chamber has yielded hundreds of fossil bones—so far. Says anthropologist Marina Elliott, seated, “We have literally just scratched the surface."
Where were these fossils found?
Look at the extensive network of caves that the fossils were found in!!!!