Underground Astronauts: The Search for Early Human Fossils in South Africa

In November 2013, six scientists descended through the twisting passages of Rising Star Cave in South Africa and excavated more than 1,500 fossils from a previously unknown human ancestor. This unprecedented collection of ancient human bones—the largest ever discovered on the continent of Africa—represents at least 15 individuals from a new species of early human named Homo naledi. Associate Professor of Anthropology Jeremy DeSilva has been working on these fossils and presents what and how we know about these early humans. Dartmouth Reunions 2016 Public Program