Remains of an ancient child add further confusion to the perplexing origins of a enigmatic human ancestor
In the heart of South Africa, the Rising Star Cave System has been the centre of a fascinating discovery that sheds light on the behaviour of Homo naledi, a species of human ancestor.
Unlike the bones found in Malapa cave, the majority of the bones discovered in Rising Star are exclusively Homo naledi. This suggests that the remains may have been intentionally brought in by other Homo naledi as a way of disposing of their dead.
The challenging recovery of Homo naledi's remains indicates that it was difficult for them to venture so deep into the cave. This adds to the intrigue surrounding their deliberate placement of the dead in the cave.
Andy Herreis, a paleoanthropologist and geoarchaeologist at La Trobe University, emphasises the need for more detailed work to thoroughly document the geology of the cave and how it has changed through the millennia. This will help in understanding the conditions under which Homo naledi deposited the remains.
The team's initial proposal about Homo naledi disposing of their dead was based on the vertical drop leading into the chamber. However, additional excavations revealed three sites deeper in the cave, suggesting a more complex disposal method.
Paul Pettitt, an archaeologist at Durham University, states that the mapping and newfound bones do not yet demonstrate that the remains must have been deposited deliberately by other humans, but they make it more likely. The debate about whether Homo naledi were braving the cave's winding passages to dispose of their dead will surely continue.
The remains bear no signs of teeth marks, and it's unlikely that carnivores dragged Homo naledi into the cave or that they were washed in by water. This further supports the theory of intentional disposal.
Marina Elliott, an anthropologist at Simon Fraser University who led the cave excavations between 2013 and 2019, suggests that the primary structure of the Dinaledi subsystem has remained fairly stable for hundreds of thousands of years. This stability could indicate a consistent use of the cave by Homo naledi over time.
The team mapped more than 1,000 feet of new passageways and described the maze-like system in a second study. The first excavation team in 2013 consisted of six scientists, all women who were expert cavers and small enough to fit through the cave's geologic jungle gym.
The discovery of Leti, a child Homo naledi, suggests that living Homo naledi were entering the cave through the chute and the network of barely passable crevices in one of the chute's walls. Leti is one of the deeper sites in the cave, deposited more than a hundred feet from its opening.
Dating of Leti and other newfound fossils could help pin down what the cave was like when the hominin remains were deposited. The Society, committed to illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world, funded Explorer at Large Lee Berger's work.
The researchers involved in the discovery of the child "Leti" in the Rising Star Cave System, South Africa, in 2017, included Lee Berger and his team of paleoanthropologists. Becca Peixotto, an archaeologist at American University, Washington, D.C., discovered the remains of the child who lived more than 240,000 years ago in the Rising Star cave system.
Aurore Val, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Tübingen, suggests that there are still alternative explanations that need to be ruled out, such as the hominins using the caves and dying there. Despite these uncertainties, the discoveries in the Rising Star Cave System continue to offer valuable insights into the behaviour of Homo naledi.
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