Homo naledi and Pleistocene hominin evolution in subequatorial Africa

New discoveries and dating of fossil remains from the Rising Star cave system, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, reveal that Homo naledi existed between 236 ka and 335 ka, placing it in the later Middle Pleistocene. This challenges previous assumptions about hominin diversity in subequatorial Africa during this period, where only large-brained modern humans or their close relatives were thought to exist. The discovery of a second chamber containing H. naledi remains further supports the idea that multiple hominin lineages coexisted in this region, with some contributing DNA to living humans. This finding aligns with the diversity observed in other savanna-adapted species and paleoclimate data, suggesting that H. naledi may have been responsible for producing Acheulean or Middle Stone Age tool industries.

Berger, L. R., Hawks, J., Dirks, P. H., Elliott, M., & Roberts, E. M. (2017). Homo naledi and Pleistocene hominin evolution in subequatorial Africa. eLife, 6. CLOCKSS. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.24234