FIVE THINGS ON PRIMITIVE MAN.

1 NEW FINDINGS

Homo naledi is a strange new species of human cousin found in South Africa two years ago. The 15 ancient skeletons showed a confusing patchwork of features. Some aspects seemed modern, almost human. But their brains were as small as a gorilla’s, suggesting Homo naledi was incredibly primitive. Now scientists have determined a shockingly young age for the original remains, and they have also found a second cavern of skeletons.

2 ‘NEW’ BONES

The bones are as recent as 236,000 years, meaning Homo naledi roamed Africa at about the time our own species was evolving.

3 BURIAL DUTY?

The second cave adds to the evidence Naledi may have performed a modern, advanced behaviour: burying the dead. This suggests a species was capable of symbolic thought and saw itself as separate from the natural world. Only Neanderthals and humans have been found to bury the dead. Scientists say we cannot rule out the possibility the bones were deposited naturally.

4 LONG LINE

Berger and his colleagues argue Naledi must be a long-lasting lineage that arose two million years ago during the early days of the genus Homo and somehow survived long enough to coexist with modern humans, who emerged about 200,000 years ago.

5 EVOLUTION

Rick Potts, director of the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, said finds like this should prompt people to discard the image of a stooped chimp evolving into a human walking upright with a briefcase. “There was a lot of evolution and extinction of populations and lineages that made it through some pretty tough times, and we’re the beneficiary of that.”