New dating suggests younger age for Homo naledi

South African hominid may have lived only 900,000 years ago

Homo naledi skulls

YOUNG SKULLS  A new statistical analysis of skulls and teeth suggests that a recently discovered South African hominid dubbed Homo naledi lived around 900,000 years ago. That’s roughly 1 million years later than estimated by other researchers. H. naledi skulls shown here were included in the new study.

cc John Hawks­_Wits University  

Homo naledi, currently the best-known and most mysterious fossil species in the human genus, may be considerably younger than previously thought, a new investigation suggests.