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Homo naledi

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Research highlight: Understanding how Homo naledi walked and ran

A new paper in the Journal of Anatomy presents a reconstructed lower limb based on the Rising Star fossil sample.

Several femora of Homo naledi shown in various angles
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Research highlight: Growth and development in human origins

A report from a Wenner-Gren-supported workshop innovating ways forward for understanding hominin ontogenies

A reconstruction of a Homo naledi child skull with bone and teeth indicated.
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Research highlight: Homo naledi teeth

In a massive new paper, a team led by Lucas Delezene provides descriptions of the dental evidence from the Dinaledi Chamber.

Four third mandibular premolars in five orientations with labels and scale bar
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Lecture: Finding ancient minds in the human evolutionary tree

Insights into the behavioral capabilities of ancient human relatives are beginning to show that some of the abilities we consider human go surprisingly deep in our ancestry.

Diagrams of eighteen hominin skulls against a black background
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Finding ancient fire use in the Rising Star cave system

The study of the underground landscape enters a new phase with evidence of charcoal and burned animal bone in deep chambers.

A piece of charcoal upon a brown surface with tiny rodent bones visible
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Research highlight: The frontal sinuses of fossil hominins

A look inside the skulls of hominins reveals the extensive variation in the form of the internal structures known as the frontal sinuses.

Crania of Petralona and LES1 showing the extent of their frontal sinuses
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Panel: Who or what is Homo naledi?

Lee Berger, Agustin Fuentes, and I had a provocative conversation sharing our different perspectives on work related to the Rising Star cave system.

John Hawks with bookshelves in the background
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Research highlight: Vertebral wedging in Homo naledi

In a new paper led by Scott Williams, we look at the way that the Homo naledi lower vertebral column compares to humans and other extinct hominins.

Vertebral column preserved for the LES1 skeleton in left lateral, anterior, posterior, and right lateral views.
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Research highlight: The limbs of Homo naledi

In a new paper, Sarah Traynor, David Green and I show that the sizes of the arm bones of Homo naledi are more or less like today's humans, despite their many morphological adaptations to climbing.

Homo naledi skeletal material on a black table with dark background
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Research highlight: Pelvic fragment from the Lesedi Chamber

A new paper from our team led by Zachary Cofran looks at the immature ilium that is currently the most complete pelvic fragment of Homo naledi.

Research highlight: Pelvic fragment from the Lesedi Chamber
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Research highlight: A partial skull from Rising Star

Our team uncovered the tiny skull in a near-impossible crevice deep in the cave system.

Reconstruction of Leti skull.
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Fossil profile: U.W. 101-258 and humeral torsion

A humerus from the Dinaledi Chamber gives some insight into the behavior of Homo naledi.

U.W. 101-283 humerus illustration with information added
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Research highlight: A look at the questions raised by Homo naledi

A chapter that presents some of the key topics shaping our continuing investigations of the Rising Star cave system.

Research highlight: A look at the questions raised by Homo naledi
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Lecture: How Homo naledi matters to our origins

A lecture in 2020 covering some of the latest research and new questions arising from the Rising Star cave system.

John Hawks at a podium that is labeled with the CARTA logo
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Research highlight: Introducing a juvenile skeleton of Homo naledi

We put together excavation records, 3D imagery, and laboratory analysis of bones and teeth to understand the preservation of a skeleton from the Dinaledi Chamber.

Photo showing bones of DH7 in situ in Dinaledi Chamber excavation
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Three big insights into our African origins

Recently, I delivered a lecture to the American Society for Human Genetics, focusing on the African record of human origins. It was a great privilege to speak to more than 5000 members of this professional organization, together with other distinguished experts on African genetic variation and health. Here I share

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My photo of the Neo skull is named one of the top science images of the year

I am feeling really honored to have one of my photos of Neo included as one of Cosmos magazine’s “Top 10 science images of 2017” [https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/top-10-science-images-of-2017]. It’s the frontal view of the Neo skull. I’ve always thought that human evolutionary science has some

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Lecture: How Homo naledi is changing human origins

A talk with an audience at UW–Madison covers our work on Homo naledi, including the recently-published Lesedi Chamber remains and the age of the fossils.

John Hawks with a University of Wisconsin banner behind him
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When anthropologists argue about species, is it evidence, or ego?

For some people who follow human evolution news, recognizing “species” is really just about whether you’re a lumper or a splitter. Many people assume that the names of species are about ego, not evidence. But nature presents us with real challenges, which still cause different scientists to approach the

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An unusual rate of dental chipping may give clues about Homo naledi's diet

Research by Ian Towle and coworkers finds that Homo naledi may have been eating foods with lots of grit.

A close-up photo of a Homo naledi tooth with a large chip on the edge
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My article giving an overview of our symposium on Homo naledi

An article written for American Scientist gives the current state of our research into the biology of this species.

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Looking at the hypothesis of deliberate deposition for Homo naledi

An exchange of views in the Journal of Human Evolution includes an examination of evidence about how skeletons ended up in the Dinaledi Chamber.

Homo naledi bones arranged on a dark table.
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Two anthropologists float some curious notions about Homo naledi

I look at views expressed by Jeffrey Schwartz and Tim White about the anatomy of Homo naledi and its relationships with other hominins.