A decade ago, we learned about a groundbreaking discovery that changed our understanding of human evolution. In September 2015, the world met Homo naledi — a new human relative found by #NatGeoExplorer in Residence Lee Berger and his team in South Africa's Rising Star cave system. Homo naledi is unique, exhibiting a mix of primitive and modern anatomical traits that raised questions about its place in our family tree. More recent findings of potential burial sites and engraved symbols on the cave walls suggest the small-brained hominin was capable of mortuary practices and meaning-making, representing some of the earliest expressions of these practices recorded to date. This finding redefines when and where the behaviors we consider quintessentially human first took hold, suggesting they weren't exclusive to our big-brained hominin cousins. Explore more about the decade-long legacy of this find, and what Berger and his team are continuing to uncover: https://lnkd.in/eNUnux7e. Photo by Robert Clark
Wow!! What an amazing find! I’m excited to hear more about where this research leads in the coming months and years. Do you think discoveries like this could reshape how we define what it truly means to be human?
Fantastic!!!♥️
National Geographic Society It’s fascinating to think about how Homo naledi continues to challenge what we thought we knew about being human.