The new species of human discovered in a deep and remote cavern in South Africa

[Judi Lynn]

27th May
The new species of human discovered in a deep and remote cavern in South Africa

Russell Leadbetter


FOUR years ago a couple of experienced cavers, Rick Hunter and Steven Tucker, ventured into a cave system known as Rising Star, less than three dozen miles from Johannesburg.

Part of their mission in exploring the caves was to see if they could come across any fossils of our early ancestors. Such things had been found in this part of South Africa before, so much so that it has become known as the Cradle of Humankind. The cave system has been described as the richest fossil hominin (the group of modern humans, ancestors and extinct human species) site in the entire continent.

Hunter and Tucker succeeded in reaching a stalactite-heavy cavity. Hunter wanted to shoot some video and in trying to squeeze out of the frame Tucker accidentally came across an extremely narrow chute. Both men entered it – and in doing so came across what National Geographic has termed as “arguably the most astonishing fossil discovery in half a century – and undoubtedly the most perplexing”.

What the men eventually found in a chamber was a collection of bones, including a piece of lower jaw with intact teeth. The discovery enthralled Professor Lee Berger, a noted American-born South African paleoanthropologist, who quickly organised an expedition to excavate more than 1,500 hominin fossils.

More:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15314013.The_new_species_of_human_discovered_in_a_deep_and_remote_cavern_in_South_Africa/

[wishstar]

1. Unusual to have found so many fossils to study, hopefully some DNA testing can be done

By contrast only a handful of Denisovan fossils have been found and identified.