New Species Of Human Relative Discovered In South African Cave

 

Fossils belonging to a previously unknown species of human relative have been discovered in a cave system northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, an international team of scientists announced Thursday Sep 10,2015

The discovery of Homo naledi is expected to shed new light on the human family tree, according to a written statement released by the National Geographic Society, the University of Witwatersrand, and the South African Department of Science and Technology

The fossils were unearthed in two expeditions conducted in November 2013 and March 2014

Since then, they have been cleaned, examined and analyzed by more than 50 scientists and researchers.

The researchers concluded that the fossilized bones belonged to at least 15 females, males and children who may have all been entombed at the same time at the site.