The Curious Case of Homo naledi: What We Do (and Don't) Know About Our Newest Extinct Relative

Dr. William Harcourt-Smith
Presented in Partnership with the Leakey Foundation

Join Dr. William Harcourt-Smith as he explores the significance of Homo naledi, the early human relative recently discovered deep within Rising Star cave in South Africa. This find, consisting of over 1500 fossil fragments, is arguably one of the most important fossil discoveries of the last half century. Dr. Harcourt-Smith led one of the first teams of scientists to examine the fossils. In this talk, he will discuss what makes Homo naledi so unique, where it may fit within the human lineage, and what consequences this groundbreaking discovery may have for our current understanding of human evolution.