Is Homo naledi still Important?

Short answer, OF COURSE! It is a fascinating piece of the Human story.

Just because the new papers are being questioned, doesn’t make things wrong, it’s been the process so far. There used to be so much more to come!

Quick review of the new papers:

What does Google Bard, the collective mind of the internet, think?

“In 201(3), scientists announced the discovery of a new species of human ancestor, Homo naledi, in the Rising Star Cave in South Africa. The discovery was based on a remarkable collection of fossils, including skulls, jaws, teeth, and postcranial bones, representing at least 15 individuals. Homo naledi is characterized by a mosaic of features that are both primitive and derived, making it difficult to place it in the human family tree.

Anatomy and Morphology

Homo naledi is a small-bodied species, with adults standing about 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall. The braincase is small and relatively unspecialized, but the face is robust and the teeth are large. The postcranial skeleton is also relatively primitive, with features such as long arms and curved fingers that are reminiscent of chimpanzees.

Age and Environment

The fossils of Homo naledi are dated to between 236,000 and 335,000 years old, based on uranium-thorium dating of flowstones in the Rising Star Cave. This suggests that Homo naledi lived during the Middle Pleistocene, a time period that was characterized by significant environmental changes in Africa.

Behavior and Taphonomy

The Rising Star Cave is located in a remote and inaccessible part of the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa. The cave is deep and labyrinthine, and it is filled with sharp rocks and narrow passages. This suggests that Homo naledi was capable of navigating difficult environments.

The fossils of Homo naledi were found in a deep chamber of the cave, along with the remains of other animals such as hyenas, porcupines, and birds. This suggests that Homo naledi may have been preyed upon by other animals. However, it is also possible that Homo naledi actively deposited the bodies of dead animals in the cave.

Significance of the Discovery

The discovery of Homo naledi is significant for a number of reasons. First, it provides us with a new and important piece of the human evolutionary puzzle. Homo naledi is a close relative of our own species, and its discovery helps to fill in the gaps in our understanding of human evolution.

Second, the discovery of Homo naledi raises a number of important questions about the behavior and ecology of our early ancestors. Was Homo naledi capable of complex behaviors such as tool use or language? Was it a social animal? How did it interact with other species?

Third, the discovery of Homo naledi has important implications for our understanding of the diversity of human ancestors. For many years, scientists believed that there was a single linear path of human evolution, leading from our ape-like ancestors to modern humans. However, the discovery of Homo naledi suggests that human evolution was a much more complex and branching process.

Future Research

The discovery of Homo naledi is just the beginning of our understanding of this new species. Scientists are continuing to study the fossils and the Rising Star Cave in order to learn more about Homo naledi’s anatomy, behavior, and ecology. This research is likely to provide us with new and important insights into human evolution.”