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There ’s " no convincing scientific evidence " behind the extraordinary claims that the ancient human relativeHomo naledideliberately buried their utter and engrave rocks deep in a South African cave around 300,000 eld ago , a group of archaeologists reason in a young comment .
H. naledibecame a lightning rod of tilt earlier this year after a teamclaimedthe nonextant hominin with an orange - size of it brain carry its dead into the Rising Star cave system , lit fire and engraved abstract figure and physique onto the walls — complex behaviors previously known only in larger - brained modernistic humans ( Homo sapiens ) and our tightlipped cousins .
A digital reconstruction ofHomo naledi, an extinct human relative who lived around 300,000 years ago.
The squad courted backlash , in part , because they announced their controversial finding in aconference speechand three preprint studies that were n’t equal - reviewed , which bilk some scientists , National Geographicreported at the clip . The online journal eLife accepted the preprints , ab initio posted to bioRxiv in June , for a publicpeer - review assessment , which conclude that there was " incomplete " grounds behind the claims .
A shoot Netflix infotainment sport the discoveries , call " Unknown : Cave of Bones " ( 2023 ) , dropped on July 17 , less than a week after eLife carry the preprints and critiques .
Now , a squad of researchers has look at the three eLife studies in detail and indicate in a traditionally peer - reviewed commentary , write Nov. 10 in theJournal of Human Evolution , that no convincing scientific evidence was ever presented for deliberate burial or rock music art .
Paleoanthropologist Lee Berger kisses a skull ofHomo nalediin 2015.
Chris Stringer , a research drawing card in human origins at the Natural History Museum in London who was not involved in any of the studies , differentiate Live Science in an email that he correspond with the conservative approach of the unexampled comment and said it was " well reason . "
" I see it as a necessary rejoinder to some over - hyped and premature conclusion about the supposedly complex behavior ofHomo naledi , " Stringer said .
Related:‘I am horror-stricken ' : archeologist are fuming over ancient human relative remains sent to sharpness of space
H. nalediwas a 5 - foot - magniloquent ( 1.5 meters ) biped hominin with spry hands and asmall - but - complex learning ability . Andy Herries , a prof of human palaeontology at La Trobe University in Australia and one of the source of the new commentary , told Live Science that he does n’t rule out theH. nalediclaims , but he noted a deficiency of science underpin them .
" There is a possibility that some of it could be right , " Herries said . " What we ’re asking for is robust scientific data to sustain it , include standardized things that you would do forarchaeology . "
Herries described " fundamental bedrock " missing from the 2023 eLife studies , admit a elaborate analysis of alleged sepulture sediment andradiocarbon datingof charcoal from alleged fires . He also desire more comparison between the propose bitter spar stone engraving and natural weathering , which he often realise in South Africa .
" I ’ve been working here for 26 years , and I see matter naturally in the bitter spar that look just like that , " Herries enjoin .
Lee Berger , a paleoanthropologist and Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic Society , led the team that describedH. nalediin 2015and the inquiry group that reported the controversial grounds ofdeliberate burialandengravings . He believes the new paper repeated concerns already being turn to by his team .
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Berger said he was also disappointed with the title of the commentary — " No scientific evidence thatHomo nalediburied their dead and produced rock candy art " because " it is the interpretation , not the actual data , that is debated . "
Berger ’s team published aresponseto the eLife reviews sooner this year . Their response to the new commentary will be publish in the Journal of Human Evolution next week , harmonise to Berger .
But that wo n’t be the last word on whetherH. nalediintentionally bury their dead , dismount fires and carved sway art . Another external cogitation by a dissimilar squad address the call of deliberateH. nalediburial is currently undergoing match review .
Live Science come near Netflix for gossip on the truth of " Unknown : Cave of Bones " but did not pick up one by the metre of issue .
