Meet your new ancestor.

• Position: New hominid spedies Homo naledi - South Africa - Brief article

How did humans evolve from apelike animals? Archaeologists in South Africa might be closer to an answer: They identified a new hominid species that could bridge the gap between early humans and their apelike ancestors. Named after the cave where bones from at least 15 specimens were found in 2013, Homo naledi has a previously undiscovered mix of ape and human features: a small brain and fingers apt for bee climbing, but legs and feet similar to those of Homo sapiens (us). Surprisingly, researchers say, the bones appear to have been placed in the cave as a form of burial, a behavior previously thought unique to modern humans. Scientists think H. naledi could replace Homo habilis, which lived as far back as 2.4 million years ago...