Homo naledi’s brain shows humanlike features

Mysterious hominid had neural features associated with social emotions and communication, researchers claim

casts of Homo naledi’s brain

GO FOR BROCA  A virtual cast of Homo naledi’s brain surface contains clues to the presence of a region (pointed to by red arrow) that may correspond to Broca’s area in present-day people. This language-related neural region enhanced social emotions and communication in the still-undated southern African Homo species, researchers contend.

Heather Garvin

NEW ORLEANS — A relatively small brain can pack a big evolutionary punch.