Who are Homo Naledi?

June 7, 2023

Palaeoanthropologists have recently uncovered evidence that suggests that Homo naledi, an extinct human species that lived hundreds of thousands of years ago, may have buried their dead and carved meaningful symbols in a cave.

About Homo Naledi:

Homo naledi is a previously-unknown species of extinct hominin.
Fossil of Homo Naledi were first discovered in the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system in South Africa during an expedition led by Lee Berger beginning October 2013.
This excavation remains the largest collection of a single hominin species that has been found in Africa.
Where Lived: South Africa
When Lived: 335,000 - 236,000 years ago
Height: Approximately 4 ft 9 in (1.44m
Weight: Estimates range from 88 – 123lbs (39.7 – 55.8kg).
Homo naledi appears to have lived near the same time as early ancestors of modern humans.
Homo naledi shared some similarities with humans, like walking upright and manipulating objects by hand, but members of the species had smaller heads, a shorter stature, and were thinner and more powerfully built.
Homo Naledi’s shoulders — which were oriented for better climbing — and teeth shared similarities with earlier hominins like Australopithecus.
They had human-like hands and feet but a brain a third of the size of humans.
Anatomic features that H. naledi had in common with other members of Homo include reduced cheek teeth and similar jaws and feet.