New fossil remains of Homo naledi from the Lesedi Chamber, South Africa
John Hawks, [Hawks, John; Elliott, Marina; Schmid, Peter; Churchill, Steven E.; de Ruiter, Darryl J.; Garvin, Heather M.; Williams, Scott A.; Delezene, Lucas K.; Feuerriegel, Elen M.; Randolph-Quinney, Patrick; Kivell, Tracy L.; Laird, Myra F.; Tawane, Gaokgatlhe; DeSilva, Jeremy M.; Brophy, Juliet K.; Skinner, Matthew M.; VanSickle, Caroline; Walker, Christopher S.; Kruger, Ashley; Tucker, Steven; Gurtov, Alia; Hlophe, Nompumelelo; Hunter, Rick; Morris, Hannah; Peixotto, Becca; Ramalepa, Maropeng; van Rooyen, Dirk; Tsikoane, Mathabela; Boshoff, Pedro; Berger, Lee R.] Univ Witwatersrand, Evolutionary Studies Inst, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Hawks, John; VanSickle, Caroline; Gurtov, Alia] Univ Wisconsin, Dept Anthropol, Madison, WI 53706 USA; [Schmid, Peter] Univ Zurich, Anthropol Inst & Museum, Zurich, Switzerland; [Churchill, Steven E.; Walker, Christopher S.] Duke Univ, Dept Evolutionary Anthropol, Durham, NC 27706 USA; [de Ruiter, Darryl J.; Campbell, Timothy L.] Texas A&M Univ, Dept Anthropol, College Stn, TX 77843 USA; [Roberts, Eric M.; Hilbert-Wolf, Hannah; Dirks, Paul H. G. M.] James Cook Univ, Coll Sci & Engn, Geosci, Townsville, Qld, Australia; [Garvin, Heather M.] Mercyhurst Univ, Dept Anthropol, Dept Archaeol, Erie, PA USA; [Garvin, Heather M.] Mercyhurst Univ, Dept Appl Forens Sci, Erie, PA USA; [Williams, Scott A.; Bailey, Shara E.] NYU, Ctr Study Human Origins, Dept Anthropol, New York, NY 10003 USA; [Williams, Scott A.; Bailey, Shara E.] New York Consortium, Evolut Primatol, New York, NY USA; [Delezene, Lucas K.] Univ Arkansas, Dept Anthropol, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA; [Feuerriegel, Elen M.] Univ Washington, Dept Anthropol, Seattle, WA 98195 USA; [Randolph-Quinney, Patrick] Univ Witwatersrand, Sch Med, Sch Anat Sci, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Randolph-Quinney, Patrick] Univ Cent Lancashire, Sch Forens & Appl Sci, Preston, Lancs, England; [Kivell, Tracy L.; Skinner, Matthew M.] Univ Kent, Sch Anthropol & Conservat, Canterbury, Kent, England; [Kivell, Tracy L.; Skinner, Matthew M.] Max Planck Inst Evolutionary Anthropol, Dept Human Evolut, Leipzig, Germany; [Laird, Myra F.] Univ Chicago, Dept Organismal Biol & Anat, 1025 E 57Th St, Chicago, IL 60637 USA; [DeSilva, Jeremy M.] Dartmouth Coll, Dept Anthropol, Hanover, NH 03755 USA; [Brophy, Juliet K.] Louisiana State Univ, Dept Geog & Anthropol, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA; [Meyer, Marc R.] Chaffey Coll, Dept Anthropol, Rancho Cucamonga, CA USA; [Tocheri, Matthew W.] Lakehead Univ, Dept Anthropol, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada; [Tocheri, Matthew W.] Natl Museum Nat Hist, Smithsonian Inst, Dept Anthropol, Human Origins Program, Washington, DC 20560 USA; [VanSickle, Caroline] Bryn Mawr Coll, Dept Anthropol, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 USA; [Walker, Christopher S.] North Carolina State Univ, Coll Vet Med, Dept Mol Biomed Sci, Raleigh, NC USA; [Kuhn, Brian] Univ Johannesburg, Dept Geol, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Kruger, Ashley] Univ Witwatersrand, Sch Geosci, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Morris, Hannah] Univ Georgia, Dept Forestry & Nat Resources, Athens, GA 30602 USA; [Peixotto, Becca] Amer Univ, Dept Anthropol, Washington, DC 20016 USA
Marina Elliott, [Hawks, John; Elliott, Marina; Schmid, Peter; Churchill, Steven E.; de Ruiter, Darryl J.; Garvin, Heather M.; Williams, Scott A.; Delezene, Lucas K.; Feuerriegel, Elen M.; Randolph-Quinney, Patrick; Kivell, Tracy L.; Laird, Myra F.; Tawane, Gaokgatlhe; DeSilva, Jeremy M.; Brophy, Juliet K.; Skinner, Matthew M.; VanSickle, Caroline; Walker, Christopher S.; Kruger, Ashley; Tucker, Steven; Gurtov, Alia; Hlophe, Nompumelelo; Hunter, Rick; Morris, Hannah; Peixotto, Becca; Ramalepa, Maropeng; van Rooyen, Dirk; Tsikoane, Mathabela; Boshoff, Pedro; Berger, Lee R.] Univ Witwatersrand, Evolutionary Studies Inst, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Hawks, John; VanSickle, Caroline; Gurtov, Alia] Univ Wisconsin, Dept Anthropol, Madison, WI 53706 USA; [Schmid, Peter] Univ Zurich, Anthropol Inst & Museum, Zurich, Switzerland; [Churchill, Steven E.; Walker, Christopher S.] Duke Univ, Dept Evolutionary Anthropol, Durham, NC 27706 USA; [de Ruiter, Darryl J.; Campbell, Timothy L.] Texas A&M Univ, Dept Anthropol, College Stn, TX 77843 USA; [Roberts, Eric M.; Hilbert-Wolf, Hannah; Dirks, Paul H. G. M.] James Cook Univ, Coll Sci & Engn, Geosci, Townsville, Qld, Australia; [Garvin, Heather M.] Mercyhurst Univ, Dept Anthropol, Dept Archaeol, Erie, PA USA; [Garvin, Heather M.] Mercyhurst Univ, Dept Appl Forens Sci, Erie, PA USA; [Williams, Scott A.; Bailey, Shara E.] NYU, Ctr Study Human Origins, Dept Anthropol, New York, NY 10003 USA; [Williams, Scott A.; Bailey, Shara E.] New York Consortium, Evolut Primatol, New York, NY USA; [Delezene, Lucas K.] Univ Arkansas, Dept Anthropol, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA; [Feuerriegel, Elen M.] Univ Washington, Dept Anthropol, Seattle, WA 98195 USA; [Randolph-Quinney, Patrick] Univ Witwatersrand, Sch Med, Sch Anat Sci, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Randolph-Quinney, Patrick] Univ Cent Lancashire, Sch Forens & Appl Sci, Preston, Lancs, England; [Kivell, Tracy L.; Skinner, Matthew M.] Univ Kent, Sch Anthropol & Conservat, Canterbury, Kent, England; [Kivell, Tracy L.; Skinner, Matthew M.] Max Planck Inst Evolutionary Anthropol, Dept Human Evolut, Leipzig, Germany; [Laird, Myra F.] Univ Chicago, Dept Organismal Biol & Anat, 1025 E 57Th St, Chicago, IL 60637 USA; [DeSilva, Jeremy M.] Dartmouth Coll, Dept Anthropol, Hanover, NH 03755 USA; [Brophy, Juliet K.] Louisiana State Univ, Dept Geog & Anthropol, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA; [Meyer, Marc R.] Chaffey Coll, Dept Anthropol, Rancho Cucamonga, CA USA; [Tocheri, Matthew W.] Lakehead Univ, Dept Anthropol, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada; [Tocheri, Matthew W.] Natl Museum Nat Hist, Smithsonian Inst, Dept Anthropol, Human Origins Program, Washington, DC 20560 USA; [VanSickle, Caroline] Bryn Mawr Coll, Dept Anthropol, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 USA; [Walker, Christopher S.] North Carolina State Univ, Coll Vet Med, Dept Mol Biomed Sci, Raleigh, NC USA; [Kuhn, Brian] Univ Johannesburg, Dept Geol, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Kruger, Ashley] Univ Witwatersrand, Sch Geosci, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Morris, Hannah] Univ Georgia, Dept Forestry & Nat Resources, Athens, GA 30602 USA; [Peixotto, Becca] Amer Univ, Dept Anthropol, Washington, DC 20016 USA
Peter Schmid, [Hawks, John; Elliott, Marina; Schmid, Peter; Churchill, Steven E.; de Ruiter, Darryl J.; Garvin, Heather M.; Williams, Scott A.; Delezene, Lucas K.; Feuerriegel, Elen M.; Randolph-Quinney, Patrick; Kivell, Tracy L.; Laird, Myra F.; Tawane, Gaokgatlhe; DeSilva, Jeremy M.; Brophy, Juliet K.; Skinner, Matthew M.; VanSickle, Caroline; Walker, Christopher S.; Kruger, Ashley; Tucker, Steven; Gurtov, Alia; Hlophe, Nompumelelo; Hunter, Rick; Morris, Hannah; Peixotto, Becca; Ramalepa, Maropeng; van Rooyen, Dirk; Tsikoane, Mathabela; Boshoff, Pedro; Berger, Lee R.] Univ Witwatersrand, Evolutionary Studies Inst, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Hawks, John; VanSickle, Caroline; Gurtov, Alia] Univ Wisconsin, Dept Anthropol, Madison, WI 53706 USA; [Schmid, Peter] Univ Zurich, Anthropol Inst & Museum, Zurich, Switzerland; [Churchill, Steven E.; Walker, Christopher S.] Duke Univ, Dept Evolutionary Anthropol, Durham, NC 27706 USA; [de Ruiter, Darryl J.; Campbell, Timothy L.] Texas A&M Univ, Dept Anthropol, College Stn, TX 77843 USA; [Roberts, Eric M.; Hilbert-Wolf, Hannah; Dirks, Paul H. G. M.] James Cook Univ, Coll Sci & Engn, Geosci, Townsville, Qld, Australia; [Garvin, Heather M.] Mercyhurst Univ, Dept Anthropol, Dept Archaeol, Erie, PA USA; [Garvin, Heather M.] Mercyhurst Univ, Dept Appl Forens Sci, Erie, PA USA; [Williams, Scott A.; Bailey, Shara E.] NYU, Ctr Study Human Origins, Dept Anthropol, New York, NY 10003 USA; [Williams, Scott A.; Bailey, Shara E.] New York Consortium, Evolut Primatol, New York, NY USA; [Delezene, Lucas K.] Univ Arkansas, Dept Anthropol, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA; [Feuerriegel, Elen M.] Univ Washington, Dept Anthropol, Seattle, WA 98195 USA; [Randolph-Quinney, Patrick] Univ Witwatersrand, Sch Med, Sch Anat Sci, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Randolph-Quinney, Patrick] Univ Cent Lancashire, Sch Forens & Appl Sci, Preston, Lancs, England; [Kivell, Tracy L.; Skinner, Matthew M.] Univ Kent, Sch Anthropol & Conservat, Canterbury, Kent, England; [Kivell, Tracy L.; Skinner, Matthew M.] Max Planck Inst Evolutionary Anthropol, Dept Human Evolut, Leipzig, Germany; [Laird, Myra F.] Univ Chicago, Dept Organismal Biol & Anat, 1025 E 57Th St, Chicago, IL 60637 USA; [DeSilva, Jeremy M.] Dartmouth Coll, Dept Anthropol, Hanover, NH 03755 USA; [Brophy, Juliet K.] Louisiana State Univ, Dept Geog & Anthropol, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA; [Meyer, Marc R.] Chaffey Coll, Dept Anthropol, Rancho Cucamonga, CA USA; [Tocheri, Matthew W.] Lakehead Univ, Dept Anthropol, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada; [Tocheri, Matthew W.] Natl Museum Nat Hist, Smithsonian Inst, Dept Anthropol, Human Origins Program, Washington, DC 20560 USA; [VanSickle, Caroline] Bryn Mawr Coll, Dept Anthropol, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 USA; [Walker, Christopher S.] North Carolina State Univ, Coll Vet Med, Dept Mol Biomed Sci, Raleigh, NC USA; [Kuhn, Brian] Univ Johannesburg, Dept Geol, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Kruger, Ashley] Univ Witwatersrand, Sch Geosci, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Morris, Hannah] Univ Georgia, Dept Forestry & Nat Resources, Athens, GA 30602 USA; [Peixotto, Becca] Amer Univ, Dept Anthropol, Washington, DC 20016 USA
Steven E. Churchill, [Hawks, John; Elliott, Marina; Schmid, Peter; Churchill, Steven E.; de Ruiter, Darryl J.; Garvin, Heather M.; Williams, Scott A.; Delezene, Lucas K.; Feuerriegel, Elen M.; Randolph-Quinney, Patrick; Kivell, Tracy L.; Laird, Myra F.; Tawane, Gaokgatlhe; DeSilva, Jeremy M.; Brophy, Juliet K.; Skinner, Matthew M.; VanSickle, Caroline; Walker, Christopher S.; Kruger, Ashley; Tucker, Steven; Gurtov, Alia; Hlophe, Nompumelelo; Hunter, Rick; Morris, Hannah; Peixotto, Becca; Ramalepa, Maropeng; van Rooyen, Dirk; Tsikoane, Mathabela; Boshoff, Pedro; Berger, Lee R.] Univ Witwatersrand, Evolutionary Studies Inst, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Hawks, John; VanSickle, Caroline; Gurtov, Alia] Univ Wisconsin, Dept Anthropol, Madison, WI 53706 USA; [Schmid, Peter] Univ Zurich, Anthropol Inst & Museum, Zurich, Switzerland; [Churchill, Steven E.; Walker, Christopher S.] Duke Univ, Dept Evolutionary Anthropol, Durham, NC 27706 USA; [de Ruiter, Darryl J.; Campbell, Timothy L.] Texas A&M Univ, Dept Anthropol, College Stn, TX 77843 USA; [Roberts, Eric M.; Hilbert-Wolf, Hannah; Dirks, Paul H. G. M.] James Cook Univ, Coll Sci & Engn, Geosci, Townsville, Qld, Australia; [Garvin, Heather M.] Mercyhurst Univ, Dept Anthropol, Dept Archaeol, Erie, PA USA; [Garvin, Heather M.] Mercyhurst Univ, Dept Appl Forens Sci, Erie, PA USA; [Williams, Scott A.; Bailey, Shara E.] NYU, Ctr Study Human Origins, Dept Anthropol, New York, NY 10003 USA; [Williams, Scott A.; Bailey, Shara E.] New York Consortium, Evolut Primatol, New York, NY USA; [Delezene, Lucas K.] Univ Arkansas, Dept Anthropol, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA; [Feuerriegel, Elen M.] Univ Washington, Dept Anthropol, Seattle, WA 98195 USA; [Randolph-Quinney, Patrick] Univ Witwatersrand, Sch Med, Sch Anat Sci, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Randolph-Quinney, Patrick] Univ Cent Lancashire, Sch Forens & Appl Sci, Preston, Lancs, England; [Kivell, Tracy L.; Skinner, Matthew M.] Univ Kent, Sch Anthropol & Conservat, Canterbury, Kent, England; [Kivell, Tracy L.; Skinner, Matthew M.] Max Planck Inst Evolutionary Anthropol, Dept Human Evolut, Leipzig, Germany; [Laird, Myra F.] Univ Chicago, Dept Organismal Biol & Anat, 1025 E 57Th St, Chicago, IL 60637 USA; [DeSilva, Jeremy M.] Dartmouth Coll, Dept Anthropol, Hanover, NH 03755 USA; [Brophy, Juliet K.] Louisiana State Univ, Dept Geog & Anthropol, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA; [Meyer, Marc R.] Chaffey Coll, Dept Anthropol, Rancho Cucamonga, CA USA; [Tocheri, Matthew W.] Lakehead Univ, Dept Anthropol, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada; [Tocheri, Matthew W.] Natl Museum Nat Hist, Smithsonian Inst, Dept Anthropol, Human Origins Program, Washington, DC 20560 USA; [VanSickle, Caroline] Bryn Mawr Coll, Dept Anthropol, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 USA; [Walker, Christopher S.] North Carolina State Univ, Coll Vet Med, Dept Mol Biomed Sci, Raleigh, NC USA; [Kuhn, Brian] Univ Johannesburg, Dept Geol, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Kruger, Ashley] Univ Witwatersrand, Sch Geosci, Johannesburg, South Africa; [Morris, Hannah] Univ Georgia, Dept Forestry & Nat Resources, Athens, GA 30602 USA; [Peixotto, Becca] Amer Univ, Dept Anthropol, Washington, DC 20016 USA
Abstract
The Rising Star cave system has produced abundant fossil hominin remains within the Dinaledi Chamber, representing a minimum of 15 individuals attributed to Homo naledi. Further exploration led to the discovery of hominin material, now comprising 131 hominin specimens, within a second chamber, the Lesedi Chamber. The Lesedi Chamber is far separated from the Dinaledi Chamber within the Rising Star cave system, and represents a second depositional context for hominin remains. In each of three collection areas within the Lesedi Chamber, diagnostic skeletal material allows a clear attribution to H. naledi. Both adult and immature material is present. The hominin remains represent at least three individuals based upon duplication of elements, but more individuals are likely present based upon the spatial context. The most significant specimen is the near-complete cranium of a large individual, designated LES1, with an endocranial volume of approximately 610 ml and associated postcranial remains. The Lesedi Chamber skeletal sample extends our knowledge of the morphology and variation of H. naledi, and evidence of H. naledi from both recovery localities shows a consistent pattern of differentiation from other hominin species.
