New species of human relative discovered - podcast
by Ian Sample from on (#M0CS)
Homo naledi is the single largest fossil hominin to be found on the African continent
Scientists from University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg have discovered a new species of human relative - Homo naledi - in a cave in South Africa's Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, northwest of Johannesburg.
The discovery consists of more than 1,500 numbered fossil elements from at least 15 individuals of the same species, laying in a chamber 90 metres from the cave entrance, accessible only by a very narrow chute. It becomes the best-known fossil member of our lineage - a hugely significant find.
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