Roy Thomson Hall and National Geographic Live present

The Mystery of our Human Story

A trove of bones hidden deep within a South African cave represents a new species of human ancestor—and one of the greatest fossil discoveries of the past half century. Homo naledi appears very primitive in some respects, with a tiny brain and apelike shoulders for climbing. But in other ways it looks remarkably like modern humans. By bringing Homo naledi to light, paleoanthropologist and Nat Geo explorer-in residence Lee Berger and his team have made world-class impact on our understanding of human evolution.

Photo ©Courtesy of Robert Clark