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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.

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John Hawks at a podium that is labeled with the CARTA logo
John Hawks speaking at CARTA

The Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA) is an organization affiliated with the University of California, San Diego and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Led by Ajit Varki, the Center sponsors a continuing series of symposia that explore the science of human origins.

In February 2020, I was able to visit the center to present some of the latest research into the Rising Star cave system. This overview discusses some of the questions that have continued to engage our team, including the relationships of H. naledi to other hominins, the possibility of interaction between H. naledi and modern humans, and the deposition of the remains in the cave system.

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John Hawks

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I'm a paleoanthropologist exploring the world of ancient humans and our fossil relatives.


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