1. What are the primary differences between Australopithecus Sediba and Homo Naledi?

 

2. What made Raymond Dart and his followers believe that early hominins were violent and aggressive (killer apes)?

 

3. What evidence eventually disproved his hypothesis?

 

4. Why were ‘small scientists’ needed in the excavation stage for the Naledi cave?
5. Why were Homo Naledi classified in the genus Homo rather than Australopithecus? Be sure to discuss both skeleton and cranium.

 

6. How many bones and fragments were eventually pulled out of the Homo Naledi cave?

 

7. What makes researchers believe that the bones were intentionally placed there? In your opinion, is this a ‘cemetery’?

Answer preview

Australopithecus and homo Habilis.   Moreover, there was so little to say about Homo Habilis, which is the first group of the human genus. After Lee had a look at the bones found by two young cavers Rick Hunter and Stephen Tucker, who made their discovery from the Rising star cave, he found it was an opportunity to clear the confusion.

 

1. Why were Homo Naledi classified in the genus Homo rather than Australopithecus? Be sure to discuss both skeleton and cranium.

After excavating the remains of the Homo Naledi, the researchers were confused from either classified it as an Australopithecus or in genus homo.   At some point, they found some features that were more similar to those of Australopithecus, including small brain size and small-bodied.  The researchers also found that the lower body part of the Naledi was similar to that of humans, and the upper part was more ape-like.   They found that Homo Naledi has long ape-like jaws and teeth similar to those of an Australopithecus. Lee found that Homo Naledi has small jaws than those of Australopithecus. Its characteristics seemed more of a human.  The dental formula showed that Naledi was more similar to that of homo Habilis. Naledi had Smaller Brow ridges with evidence of a more rounded skull, indicating it is a Homo rather than an Australopithecus.  They discovered Homo Naledi was a Homo and was a new genus that was intermediate between Australopithecus Sediba and homo Habilis.

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