In 2013, the remains of 15 members of an ancient human-like species called Homo naledi were found in the Rising Star caves, a system of caverns in South Africa. At the time, scientists believed the fossils were around two to three million years old, but now new fossil finds suggest that Homo naledi lived more recently than first thought.
Around 100 metres away in a second chamber of the same caves, the remains of three more Homo naledi have been found: two adults and one child. The spectacular fossils, which include one of a well-preserved skull nicknamed Neo, are thought to be between 236,000 and 335,000 years old.
This suggests that Homo naledi may have lived alongside Homo sapiens – modern humans. This is important because scientists previously thought that…
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The Week Junior (Digital) - 1 Issue, No. 77