Homo naledi, a new species of the genus Homo from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa.

Author

Lee R. Berger
John Hawks
Darryl J. de Ruiter
Steven E. Churchill
Peter Schmid
Lucas K. Delezene
Tracy L. Kivell
Heather M. Garvin
Scott A. Williams
Jeremy M. DeSilva
Matthew M. Skinner
Charles M. Musiba
Noel Cameron
Trenton W. Holliday
William Harcourt-Smith
Rebecca R. Ackermann
Markus Bastir
Barry Bogin
Debra Bolter
Juliet Brophy
Zachary D. Cofran
Kimberly A. Congdon, Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre of Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, United States
Andrew S. Deane, Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre of Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, United States
Mana Dembo, Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre of Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Human Evolutionary Studies Program and Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
Michelle Drapeau, Department d'Anthropologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
Marina C. Elliott, Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre of Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Human Evolutionary Studies Program and Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
Elen M. Feuerriegel, Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre of Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Daniel Garcia-Martinez, Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre of Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, Spain; Faculty of Sciences, Biology Department, Universidad Autònoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
David J. Green, Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre of Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, United States
Alia Gurtov, Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre of Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, United States
Joel D. Irish, Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre of Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Ashley Kruger, Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre of Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

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Publication Date

9-10-2015

Publication Title

Evolutionary Biology

Abstract

Homo naledi is a previously-unknown species of extinct hominin discovered within the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star cave system, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa. This species is characterized by body mass and stature similar to small-bodied human populations but a small endocranial volume similar to australopiths. Cranial morphology of H. naledi is unique, but most similar to early Homo species including Homo erectus, Homo habilis or Homo rudolfensis. While primitive, the dentition is generally small and simple in occlusal morphology. H. naledi has humanlike manipulatory adaptations of the hand and wrist. It also exhibits a humanlike foot and lower limb. These humanlike aspects are contrasted in the postcrania with a more primitive or australopith-like trunk, shoulder, pelvis and proximal femur. Representing at least 15 individuals with most skeletal elements repeated multiple times, this is the largest assemblage of a single species of hominins yet discovered in Africa.

Document Type

Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09560

Language

English

Recommended Citation

Berger, Lee R.; Hawks, John; de Ruiter, Darryl J.; Churchill, Steven E.; Schmid, Peter; Delezene, Lucas K.; Kivell, Tracy L.; Garvin, Heather M.; Williams, Scott A.; DeSilva, Jeremy M.; Skinner, Matthew M.; Musiba, Charles M.; Cameron, Noel; Holliday, Trenton W.; Harcourt-Smith, William; Ackermann, Rebecca R.; Bastir, Markus; Bogin, Barry; Bolter, Debra; Brophy, Juliet; Cofran, Zachary D.; Congdon, Kimberly A.; Deane, Andrew S.; Dembo, Mana; Drapeau, Michelle; Elliott, Marina C.; Feuerriegel, Elen M.; Garcia-Martinez, Daniel; Green, David J.; Gurtov, Alia; Irish, Joel D.; and Kruger, Ashley, "Homo naledi, a new species of the genus Homo from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa." (2015). KIP Articles. 9289.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/9289