Homo naledi

A new species of early human ancestor - Homo naledi - has been uncovered in South Africa
10 September 2015
Presented by Chris Smith

Homo naledi

Dinaledi skeletal specimens - from eLife DOI: 10.7554/eLife.09560.003

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Where we came from is, arguably, one of the most important questions facing mankind. This week the story has become even more intriguing: the well-preserved remains of 15 individuals from a new species of human ancestor, called Homo naledi, have been unveiled by scientists in South Africa. The name means "star" in the local language and it's a nod to the rising star cave system where the remains - part of a spectacular assemblage of more than 1500 specimens - were uncovered. The finds also harbour another secret: it's possible that these individuals might have been put where the scientists found them after they died. Joining Chris Smith to discuss how they made these findings are the discoverers Lee Berger, from the University of Witwatersrand, Charles Musiba from the University of Colorado, and, up first, Wisconsin University's John Hawks...

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