Humanity's mystery new cousin is surprisingly young: 335,000-year-old fossils of Homo naledi transform our understanding of human evolution
- Homo naledi fossils were first discovered in the South African caves in 2013
- Remains of three new individuals have now been found in another chamber
- Bones are 335,000 and 236,000 years old, making them younger than thought Researchers believe the homo naledi could have been hoarding the dead
- They say that this is a sign of intelligence and could be the 'deepest roots of human cultural practices'
Deep within the Rising Star Cave system in South Africa, archaeologists have discovered the remains of at least three Hominin naledi.
The age of the remains has been revealed to be startlingly young, suggesting the species was alive sometime between 335,000 and 236,000 years ago.
This places this population of primitive small-brained hominins at a time and place that it is likely they lived alongside modern humans.
This is the first time that it has been demonstrated that another species of hominin survived alongside the first humans in Africa.
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Archaeologists in South Africa have discovered the remains of at least three Hominin naledi (skull of one is pictured). The age of the remains has been revealed to be startlingly young, suggesting the species was alive sometime between 335,000 and 236,000 years ago
Researchers from James Cook University in Queensland have been analysing fossils of the hominid Homo naledi, found deep in the Dinaledi Cave in South Africa's Rising Star cave system in 2013.
And in a separate study, a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison discovered new remains belonging to three Homo naledi, including one they have named 'Neo', in a separate cave chamber.
Using state-of-the-art dating techniques, the researchers have found that Homo naledi lived in Africa between 236,000 and 335,000 years old.
Professor Paul Dirks, who led the study, said: 'The oldest dated fossils of Homo sapiens in Africa are around 200,000 years old.
'And now we have a very primitive looking hominid that probably existed at the same time as them.
'This is the first time one of these primitive hominids has been found in association with more modern humans in Africa.'
The first bones of the Homo naledi species were located in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa's Gauteng province in a remote chamber that can only be accessed via several steep climbs and fissures (arrangement of fossils pictured)
Homo naledi was very different from archaic humans that lived around the same time. Pictured left is a Kabwe skull from Zambia, an archaic human, while pictured right is Neo's skull
Professor Dirks said the implications of the new dates are profound.
He added: 'When we first identified the fossils, most of the paleo-anthropologists on site were convinced that they would be a million or two million years old, but we have now shown they are much more recent.
'It means that a primitive hominid persisted on the landscape in Africa for a very substantial period of time. Well beyond what paleo-anthropologists predicted to be possible.'
He said the structure of Homo naledi's hands meant it could have been a toolmaker.
He added: 'The new dating puts it on the landscape at a time from which we find lots of tools in Africa in the middle stone-age.
'One of the implications of the new dates is that it's no longer automatically possible for us to assume that early homosapiens were making these tools.'
The researchers believe that the findings could re-write the evolution of our ancient ancestors.
Analysis of the bones (pictured) indicates the extinct species may have been uniquely adapted for both tree climbing and walking, while also being capable of precise manual manipulation
The researchers believe that the structure of Homo naledi's hands meant it could have been a toolmaker. Pictured are hand and jaw bones found in the South African cave system
Professor Dirks added: 'We have many different branches on the family tree and it is only fairly recently that there is only one survivor on the landscape.
'The new dating of the fossils opens up all sorts of possibilities for an interchange of tool use, cultural activities and behaviours between and homo sapiens.'
In the second study, a team of researchers also discovered new Homo naledi remains in another cave chamber.
Using state-of-the-art dating techniques, the researchers have found that Homo naledi lived in Africa between 236,000 and 335,000 years old
The two collections of Homo naledi fossils (pictured) give science its most complete record of a hominin species other than modern humans and Neanderthals
These new fossils were found in a chamber some distance from the Dinaledi Chamber - the cave where Homo naledi was originally found.
The researchers suggest that this shows that the Homo naledi was storing its dead – a surprising behaviour that suggests the species was intelligent.
Dr John Hawks, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who led the study that found the new remains, said: 'This likely adds weight to the hypothesis that Homo naledi was using dark, remote places to cache its dead.
'What are the odds of a second, almost identical occurrence happening by chance?'
The new chamber, which the researchers have named the Lesedi Chamber, is nearly 100 metres from the Dinaledi Chamber where the first Homo naledi fossils representing at least 15 individuals were found.
So far, the team has retrieved more than 130 new Homo naledi fossils from the Lesedi Chamber.
The new fossils come from at least three individuals - two adults and a child - and the researchers believe more will be recovered as their excavations continue.
The child, estimated to be under five years old, is represented by bones from the head and body.
Of the two adults, one is identified only by a jaw and leg bones.
Researchers who worked on the excavation say Homo naledi appeared to have unique shoulder features
But the skeleton of the third individual, dubbed 'Neo' is remarkably complete.
Researchers have reconstructed the skull, providing a much more complete portrait of Homo naledi.
Dr Peter Schmid, who reconstructed the skull, said: 'We finally get a look at the face of Homo naledi.'
A composite skeleton of the Homo naledi reveals its overall body plan. The findings suggest the species had humanlike feet, and long, cureved fingers for climbing trees
Dr Lee Berger, who also worked on the study, added: 'The skeleton of Neo is one of the most complete ever discovered, technically more complete than the famous Lucy fossil given the preservation of the skull and mandible.'
The reconstructed skull has delicate bones of the inner eye region and nose, according to Dr Hawks.
He said: 'Some of the new bones add detail to what we knew before.
'The Neo skeleton has a complete collarbone and a near-complete femur, which help to confirm what we knew about the size and stature of Homo naledi, and that it was both an effective walker and climber.
The remains were discovered by researchers who were exploring the South African cave system known as Rising Star
In 2013, the researchers first discovered the first remains of the Homo naledi species in chamber called the Dinaledi Chamber
'The vertebrae are just wonderfully preserved, and unique - they have a shape we've only seen in Neanderthals.'
Combined, the two collections of Homo naledi fossils give science its most complete record of a hominin species other than modern humans and Neanderthals.
Dr Hawks said: 'With the new fossils from the Lesedi Chamber, we now have approximately 2,000 specimens of Homo naledi, representing the skeletons of at least 18 individuals.
'There are more Homo naledi specimens than any other extinct species or population of hominins except for Neanderthals.'
The idea that Homo naledi collected their dead in underground chambers echos a similar system seen in Neanderthals.
In a deep Spanish cave known as Sima de los Huesos, there is evidence that Neanderthals also collected the bodies of the dead around 400,000 years ago.
H. naledi's overall body plan is illustrated right and how it compares to Homo species such as H. erectus (centre) and australopithecines such as Lucy (far left)
Dr Hawks added: 'What is so provacative about Homo naledi is that these are creatures with brains one third the size of ours.
'This is clearly not a human, yet it seems to share a very deep aspect of behaviour that we recognize, an enduring care for other individuals that continues after their deaths.
'It awes me that we may be seeing the deepest roots of human cultural practices.'
The Rising Star cave system is difficult to get to and requires some very tight squeezes. Pictured are two researchers in the cave
Researchers, including Dr John Hawkes (pictured), have reconstructed the skull of Neo, providing a much more complete portrait of Homo naledi
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