https://youtu.be/CQj6QofUdFc?si=cbqeGX0YUzfU9yYQ
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_naledi
Homo naledi is an extinct species of archaic human discovered in 2013 in the Rising Star Cave system, Gautengprovince, South Africa, part of the Cradle of Humankind, dating back to the Middle Pleistocene 335,000–236,000 years ago. The initial discovery comprises 1,550 specimens of bone, representing 737 different skeletal elements, and at least 15 different individuals. Despite this exceptionally high number of specimens, their classification with other Homo species remains unclear.
Along with similarities to contemporary Homo, they share several characteristics with the ancestral Australopithecus as well as early Homo (mosaic evolution), most notably a small cranial capacity of 465–610 cm3 (28.4–37.2 cu in), compared with 1,270–1,330 cm3 (78–81 cu in) in modern humans. They are estimated to have averaged 143.6 cm (4 ft 9 in) in height and 39.7 kg (88 lb) in weight, yielding a small relative brain size, encephalization quotient, of 4.5.
Dear friend,
The story of Dinaledi Chamber is one of the strangest discoveries in paleoanthropology in the past decade.
The cave itself is remarkable.
But the real mystery is:
Why were so many bodies there?
And who exactly were the people who left them?
The Cave
Dinaledi (“many stars” in Sesotho) is a chamber within the Rising Star Cave near Johannesburg.
The fossils were discovered in 2013 by cavers exploring an extremely difficult passage system. To reach the chamber, researchers had to squeeze through passages as narrow as about 18 cm (7 inches). Lee Berger led the excavation team.
What stunned researchers was the sheer number of remains:
- more than 1,500 fossil elements
- at least 15 individuals initially
- later discoveries increased that number substantially
This is one of the richest fossil assemblages ever found for a single hominin species.
Who Were Homo naledi?
Homo naledi was officially announced in 2015.
They were surprisingly mixed creatures.
Primitive features
Their brains were small:
- about 460–610 cc
- similar to australopithecines
- roughly one-third of a modern human brain
Their shoulders and upper body retained some climbing adaptations.
Their fingers were unusually curved.
Surprisingly modern features
Yet they also had:
- feet remarkably similar to modern humans
- long legs adapted for walking
- human-like wrists
- dexterous hands
They appear to have walked much like us.
So Homo naledi looked like a strange mosaic:
a small-brained creature
with several surprisingly human traits.
The Biggest Surprise: Their Age
Initially many scientists assumed they must be very ancient.
Why?
Because small brains usually imply an early hominin.
But dating results shocked everyone.
The fossils were estimated at roughly:
- 236,000–335,000 years old.
That means Homo naledi lived at approximately the same time as:
- early Homo sapiens in Africa
- Neanderthal ancestors elsewhere
This overturned a common assumption:
evolution is not a simple ladder.
Instead:
multiple human species coexisted.
Why Is Dinaledi So Controversial?
The major controversy concerns the bodies.
There is little evidence that:
- carnivores dragged them there
- floods carried them there
- people simply lived in the chamber
The chamber is deep, dark, and difficult to reach.
This led Berger and colleagues to propose something extraordinary:
Homo naledi may have deliberately placed their dead there.
If true, this would imply a form of mortuary behavior.
Why Would That Be Revolutionary?
Traditionally anthropologists assumed:
- large brains → symbolism
- symbolism → ritual
- ritual → burial
But Homo naledi had small brains.
If they intentionally deposited their dead,
then sophisticated social behavior might not require a modern-sized brain.
This remains debated, but it is one of the most provocative ideas in human-evolution research.
Even More Recent Claims
Berger’s team has also argued that Homo naledi may have:
- used fire
- engraved geometric marks on cave walls
- intentionally buried individuals
These claims are highly controversial.
Some researchers find them plausible.
Others remain unconvinced and argue that the evidence is not yet sufficient.
So the debate continues.
Why I Think Dinaledi Is Philosophically Interesting
You often return to the question:
When did humans become human?
Dinaledi complicates the question.
If Homo naledi:
- cared for their dead,
- navigated deep darkness,
- maintained social bonds,
then perhaps “humanity” does not begin with brain size.
Perhaps it begins with something else.
Maybe with:
- care,
- companionship,
- memory,
- mourning.
In that sense, Dinaledi is not merely a fossil site.
It is a challenge to a modern prejudice:
that intelligence alone makes us human.
A small-brained hominin disappearing into the darkness of a cave, carrying the body of a companion, is one of the most haunting images in paleoanthropology.
And perhaps one of the most beautiful.
