Homo naledi is a species of hominin that lived between 335,000 and 236,000 years ago. Scientists announced its discovery in 2015 after finding a cave in South Africa full of its remains—it was the richest fossil hominin site in Africa ever found. The discovery was remarkable, as the species would have lived alongside Homo sapiens—our direct ancestors. Before H. naledi was discovered, it was not thought any other hominin species lived alongside the first humans in Africa. A recently-discovered cache of H. naledi remains indicates the species disposed of its dead, indicating the presence of intelligence and possibly even the early signs of culture.
