New Human Ancestor Elicits Awe—and Many Questions

New Human Ancestor Elicits Awe—and Many Questions

By Jamie Shreeve, National Geographic

PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

Scientists reacted with a mix of awe and exasperation to the news Thursday of thediscovery of fossils in South Africa that are said to define a new species of human ancestor, Homo naledi. The awe was inspired mostly by the sheer number of fossils—more than 1,500 bones, all of them from a remote chamber in the cave system called Rising Star, 30 miles northwest of Johannesburg.

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.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK THIESSEN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Homo naledi sports a bizarre mixture of primitive and modern traits. It has a tiny ape-like brain perched on a body proportioned much like a small modern human; it has ape-like shoulders and torso, curved fingers for climbing trees—and a remarkably human foot. The mix hints at a species close to the origin of the genusHomo, between two million and three million years ago.