The Probus Club of Johannesburg, an association of autonomous clubs which cater to the fellowship needs of retired professionals, met up at the Bryanston Sports Club for a fascinating talk on the Rising Star Cave System as well as the discovery of the Homo naledi fossils, presented by Rick and Lindsay Hunter.
Rick was one of the first people to discover the remains of Homo naledi in September 2013.
“We had to crawl through an opening that’s only about 18cm wide, and after following a ridge, we entered a large opening. That’s where we discovered the bones,” Rick said.
He added that he had dislocated joints and even broken bones after squeezing into openings in the cave systems.
Lindsay, a biological anthropologist, spoke about the latest hypothesis regarding the physical characteristics of Homo naledi. “We found nearly 15 individuals in the Rising Star Cave System. We believe that Homo naledi was around 145cm tall, weighed 45kg and walked upright,” she said.
Lindsay added that they believed the bones that were discovered were placed there after death, in some sort of primitive burial ceremony.
Members of the Probus were fascinated by the talk, and a lengthy question and answer session followed.
Chairman of the Probus Association of Gauteng South, Bryan Scarrott is a proud member of the organisation.
“Our members are mainly drawn from the northern areas of Johannesburg, namely Randburg and Sandton, and in the Gauteng South district there are 17 clubs with a total membership of about 800. In total there are about 4 100 Probians in South Africa belonging to
about 100 clubs, meeting once a month.”
The Probus Club of Johannesburg is always delighted to welcome new members to enjoy fellowship at the Bryanston Sports Club in Bryanston at 12pm for 12.30pm midday on the third Tuesday of every month.
Details: Colin: 073 235 7000 or 011 465 5735; www.probus.org.za
Read more:
Watch: New species of the human relative discovered in South Africa
A club of distinguished gentlemen
