Homo naledi

Meaning of the name

"Man from the Star Cave" (naledi is a reference to the location in the Rising Star Cave).

Discovery site

Rising Star cave system, Dinaledi chamber, South Africa.

Age

335'000–236'000 years

Height and weight

1,50 Meter, 40–45 Kg

Brain size

465–610 cm³ (significantly smaller than in Homo sapiens, comparable to Australopithecus).

Body characteristics

Combination of archaic (small brain, prominent superciliary ridges) and modern features on the skull (thin skull walls, shape similar to modern humans).
Long legs and anatomically modern feet, suitable for walking upright. Curved finger bones, indicating good climbing abilities. Shoulder and rib cage similar to more primitive species such as Australopithecus, suggesting adaptation to climbing and grasping.

Teeth

Small, human-like teeth with relatively minor signs of wear.

Habitat

Savannahs and wooded areas of South Africa; may also live in caves at times.

Nutrition

Presumably omnivorous, based on tooth morphology and analyses of isotopes in the bones.

Tools

Evidence of the deliberate use of tools. No direct evidence for fire, but possible rudimentary technologies.

Best known find

The finds from the Dinaledi Chamber (2013) include more than 1,500 bones from at least 15 individuals, covering a wide range of ages and sex groups. It is one of the most comprehensive collections of fossilised remains of an extinct human species.

Significance for evolution

Homo naledi shows a unique mix of primitive and modern features reminiscent of both Australopithecus and later Homo species. It lived at the same time as Homo sapiens and other human species, providing a complex picture of human evolution in the middle Pleistocene.
The find provides important evidence that small brains are not necessarily synonymous with primitive intelligence.