We welcome a new addition to the family

At 11am yesterday, the world welcomed Homo Naledi also known as the Star to the Homo family.

Since yesterday morning, guests at the Cradle of Humankind have waited impatiently for the wonderful announcement.

“We have just met a new species of human relative that deliberately disposed of its dead,” said Lee Berger, Professor at the University of Witwatersrand.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa stressed how important the discovery is in South Africa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bY9fYOQO3U&feature=youtu.be

“Today we will be writing in the history books of Africa as something new has come out of Africa. Today, we are bound together by a common ancestor,” he exclaimed.

Homo Naledi was found by two cavers, Rick Hunter and Steven Tucker after they discovered the entrance to the Dinaledi Chamber where Homo Naledi was found.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI91pKhIrsU&feature=youtu.be

They discovered other fossils too and when they showed pictures of the fossils to geologist Pedro Boshoff, he saw it as potentially significant and informed Professor Lee Berger about it.

The other 1550 bones that was found in the Dinaledi Chamber will be on display from today until 11 October.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZglI6C6yYU&feature=youtu.be

Here are a few facts about Homo Naledi:

• His foot is human-like

• Hands has curved finger bones

• Hips are primitive

• Brain weighs between 450 and 550 cubic centimetres

• Teeth and skull is relatively human-like

• Appears to be more human than Australopithecus Sediba

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