Scientists in South Africa welcomed a new species into the human family tree this morning. Its name: Homo naledi. It’s slim and stands at under five feet tall with feet and hands similar to humans and a brain a third the size of ours, according to researchers.
The bones of at least 15 individuals were found together in a remote cave, suggesting the possibility of a ritual burial ground. The more than 1,500 well-preserved bones and teeth represent the largest, most complete set of its kind ever found in Africa.
Two University of Wisconsin researchers were on hand during the excavation: paleoanthropologist John Hawks and doctoral candidate Alia Gurtov.