The discovery of the cradle of humankind appears to demonstrate new finds as reported in various articles founded on extensive research. The most recent discovery of the cave system termed as the Rising Star has seen an abundance in the production of fossil hominin remains. This discovery is reported to have occurred within the Dinaleid chamber, where there is the representation of a minimum of 15 individuals that are attributed to the newly and recently discovered species “Homo naledi.” In an article, hominin material was also discovered upon further exploration, which demonstrated through the 131 hominin specimens that were also recently discovered in the Lesedi Chamber. Within the system of the Rising cave, the Lesedi Chamber’s location is far separated from that of the Dinaledi Chamber and is a representation of a second or an additional depositional context in as far as the hominin remains are concerned (Hawks et al. 2017). This does not, however, change the interpretation of the first set of fossils because the difference in location may have resulted in a difference in the manner of fossil preservation, thus condition of finds. Similarly, in each of Chamber Lasedi’s three areas of collection, where the new species was discovered, clear attribution is made to “ Homo naledi ” based on the discovered skeletal material used in diagnosis.
The hominin remains consisted of two skeletal material, that of an adult and an immature one. The fossils of the hominin were a representation of at least three individuals, which was established by the duplication of elements. However, there is also the speculation that due to the spatial context, there are possibilities of the existence of more individuals other than the three that have already been established. Among the specimens discovered, the most significant is the individual designated LES1, who is characterized by a near-complete cranium, similar to that of a large individual (Hawks et al. 2017). LES1 is described as possessing an endocrinal volume that is estimated at approximately 610ml as well as the residual or postcranial remains. The skeletal samples discovered at the Lesedi Chamber have contributed to the already established knowledge of the variation and morphology of the newly discovered H. naledi . Therefore, H. naledi evidence from both recovery locations indicates consistency with regards to differentiation from previously discovered hominin species.
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In another article, still on the newest hominin discovery, has indicated many establishments in as far as fossil discovery and examining are concerned. Sediments, flowstone new ages, as well as fossil bones discovered at the Dinaledi Chamber are diaplayed. All three sediments are reported to have been containing Homo naledi fossils, which was done using a combination of “luminescence dating sediments with U-Th and palaeomagnetic that are optically stimulated (Dirks et al. 2017).” The named fossils are similarly reported to have been allocated to (sub-unit 3b), which is a single stratigraphic entity as well as interpreted as to have been deposited between the periods 236ka and 414ka (Dirks et al. 2017). Confirmation of the described results was done through the independent dating of three teeth of Homo naledi using both the U-series and electron spin resonance, the combination commonly abbreviated as (US-ESR) dating. Also, the fossils’ two dating scenarios were tested through the act of varying the levels of loss of 222Rn within the encasing sediments.
The findings were categories into a maximum and minimum age scenario, where there is the provision of the “average age for the two least altered fossil teeth of 253 +82/–70 ka,” and “200 +70/–61 ka” respectively (Dirks et al. 2017).. The maximum age scenario were considered to reflect the cave’s conditions, thus the actual fossils’ age. The activity of combining obtained “US-ESR maximum age estimate from the teeth,” with the oldest flowstone. U-Th age from overlying Homo naledi fossils, researchers have resorted to constraining the dispositional age of the newest hominin species, Homo naledi to the period between “236 ka and 335 ka” (Dirks et al. 2017). The same results established there above therefore indicate towards a Homo naledi that is a hominin characterized by being morphologically primitive (Dirks et al. 2017). Therefore, the new observation in as a far as Homo naledi is concerned is that the hominin indicates a much younger age for its fossil, seeing as it survived into Pleistocene in Africa’s later parts. Also, the discovery with regards to age demonstrated a difference from the previously hypothesized age by morphology.
References
Berger, L. R. (2015). Homo naledi, a new species of the genus Homo from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa. eLife. Posted on elifesciences. org September , 10 .
Dirks, P. H., Roberts, E. M., Hilbert-Wolf, H., Kramers, J. D., Hawks, J., Dosseto, A., ... &Hellstrom, J. (2017). The age of Homo naledi and associated sediments in the Rising Star Cave, South Africa. eLife , 6 , e24231.
Hawks, J., Elliott, M., Schmid, P., Churchill, S. E., de Ruiter, D. J., Roberts, E. M., ...&Feuerriegel, E. M. (2017). New fossil remains of Homo naledi from the Lesedi Chamber, South Africa. eLife , 6 , e24232.
