Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa

Paul H.G.M. Dirks; Lee R. Berger; Eric M. Roberts; Jan D. Kramers; John Hawks; Patrick S. Randolph-Quinney; Marina Elliott; Charles M. Musiba; Steven E. Churchill; Darryl J. de Ruiter; Peter Schmid; Lucinda R. Backwell; Georgy A. Belyanin; Pedro Boshoff; K. Lindsay Hunter; Elen M. Feuerriegel; Alia Gurtov; James du G. Harrison; Rick Hunter; Ashley Kruger; Hannah Morris; Tebogo V. Makhubela; Becca Peixotto; Steven Tucker

doi:10.7554/eLife.09561

Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa

Paul H.G.M. Dirks, Lee R. Berger, Eric M. Roberts, Jan D. Kramers, John Hawks, Patrick S. Randolph-Quinney, Marina Elliott, Charles M. Musiba, Steven E. Churchill, Darryl J. de Ruiter, Peter Schmid, Lucinda R. Backwell, Georgy A. Belyanin, Pedro Boshoff, K. Lindsay Hunter, Elen M. Feuerriegel, Alia Gurtov, James du G. Harrison, Rick Hunter, Ashley KrugerHannah Morris, Tebogo V. Makhubela, Becca Peixotto, Steven Tucker

Geology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

132 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We describe the physical context of the Dinaledi Chamber within the Rising Star cave, South Africa, which contains the fossils of Homo naledi. Approximately 1550 specimens of hominin remains have been recovered from at least 15 individuals, representing a small portion of the total fossil content. Macro-vertebrate fossils are exclusively H. naledi, and occur within clay-rich sediments derived from in situ weathering, and exogenous clay and silt, which entered the chamber through fractures that prevented passage of coarser-grained material. The chamber was always in the dark zone, and not accessible to non-hominins. Bone taphonomy indicates that hominin individuals reached the chamber complete, with disarticulation occurring during/after deposition. Hominins accumulated over time as older laminated mudstone units and sediment along the cave floor were eroded. Preliminary evidence is consistent with deliberate body disposal in a single location, by a hominin species other than Homo sapiens, at an as-yet unknown date.

Original language	English
Article number	e09561
Journal	eLife
Volume	4
Issue number	September2015
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09561
Publication status	Published - 10 Sept 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Neuroscience
General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Immunology and Microbiology

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10.7554/eLife.09561

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Dirks, P. H. G. M., Berger, L. R., Roberts, E. M., Kramers, J. D., Hawks, J., Randolph-Quinney, P. S., Elliott, M., Musiba, C. M., Churchill, S. E., de Ruiter, D. J., Schmid, P., Backwell, L. R., Belyanin, G. A., Boshoff, P., Hunter, K. L., Feuerriegel, E. M., Gurtov, A., Harrison, J. D. G., Hunter, R., ... Tucker, S. (2015). Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa. eLife, 4(September2015), Article e09561. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09561

@article{44e51535cd2349389bc97a3b547a0095,

title = "Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa",

abstract = "We describe the physical context of the Dinaledi Chamber within the Rising Star cave, South Africa, which contains the fossils of Homo naledi. Approximately 1550 specimens of hominin remains have been recovered from at least 15 individuals, representing a small portion of the total fossil content. Macro-vertebrate fossils are exclusively H. naledi, and occur within clay-rich sediments derived from in situ weathering, and exogenous clay and silt, which entered the chamber through fractures that prevented passage of coarser-grained material. The chamber was always in the dark zone, and not accessible to non-hominins. Bone taphonomy indicates that hominin individuals reached the chamber complete, with disarticulation occurring during/after deposition. Hominins accumulated over time as older laminated mudstone units and sediment along the cave floor were eroded. Preliminary evidence is consistent with deliberate body disposal in a single location, by a hominin species other than Homo sapiens, at an as-yet unknown date.",

author = "Dirks, {Paul H.G.M.} and Berger, {Lee R.} and Roberts, {Eric M.} and Kramers, {Jan D.} and John Hawks and Randolph-Quinney, {Patrick S.} and Marina Elliott and Musiba, {Charles M.} and Churchill, {Steven E.} and {de Ruiter}, {Darryl J.} and Peter Schmid and Backwell, {Lucinda R.} and Belyanin, {Georgy A.} and Pedro Boshoff and Hunter, {K. Lindsay} and Feuerriegel, {Elen M.} and Alia Gurtov and Harrison, {James du G.} and Rick Hunter and Ashley Kruger and Hannah Morris and Makhubela, {Tebogo V.} and Becca Peixotto and Steven Tucker",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Dirks et al.",

year = "2015",

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doi = "10.7554/eLife.09561",

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Dirks, PHGM, Berger, LR, Roberts, EM, Kramers, JD, Hawks, J, Randolph-Quinney, PS, Elliott, M, Musiba, CM, Churchill, SE, de Ruiter, DJ, Schmid, P, Backwell, LR, Belyanin, GA, Boshoff, P, Hunter, KL, Feuerriegel, EM, Gurtov, A, Harrison, JDG, Hunter, R, Kruger, A, Morris, H, Makhubela, TV, Peixotto, B & Tucker, S 2015, 'Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa', eLife, vol. 4, no. September2015, e09561. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09561

TY - JOUR

T1 - Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa

AU - Dirks, Paul H.G.M.

AU - Berger, Lee R.

AU - Roberts, Eric M.

AU - Kramers, Jan D.

AU - Hawks, John

AU - Randolph-Quinney, Patrick S.

AU - Elliott, Marina

AU - Musiba, Charles M.

AU - Churchill, Steven E.

AU - de Ruiter, Darryl J.

AU - Schmid, Peter

AU - Backwell, Lucinda R.

AU - Belyanin, Georgy A.

AU - Boshoff, Pedro

AU - Hunter, K. Lindsay

AU - Feuerriegel, Elen M.

AU - Gurtov, Alia

AU - Harrison, James du G.

AU - Hunter, Rick

AU - Kruger, Ashley

AU - Morris, Hannah

AU - Makhubela, Tebogo V.

AU - Peixotto, Becca

AU - Tucker, Steven

PY - 2015/9/10

Y1 - 2015/9/10

N2 - We describe the physical context of the Dinaledi Chamber within the Rising Star cave, South Africa, which contains the fossils of Homo naledi. Approximately 1550 specimens of hominin remains have been recovered from at least 15 individuals, representing a small portion of the total fossil content. Macro-vertebrate fossils are exclusively H. naledi, and occur within clay-rich sediments derived from in situ weathering, and exogenous clay and silt, which entered the chamber through fractures that prevented passage of coarser-grained material. The chamber was always in the dark zone, and not accessible to non-hominins. Bone taphonomy indicates that hominin individuals reached the chamber complete, with disarticulation occurring during/after deposition. Hominins accumulated over time as older laminated mudstone units and sediment along the cave floor were eroded. Preliminary evidence is consistent with deliberate body disposal in a single location, by a hominin species other than Homo sapiens, at an as-yet unknown date.

AB - We describe the physical context of the Dinaledi Chamber within the Rising Star cave, South Africa, which contains the fossils of Homo naledi. Approximately 1550 specimens of hominin remains have been recovered from at least 15 individuals, representing a small portion of the total fossil content. Macro-vertebrate fossils are exclusively H. naledi, and occur within clay-rich sediments derived from in situ weathering, and exogenous clay and silt, which entered the chamber through fractures that prevented passage of coarser-grained material. The chamber was always in the dark zone, and not accessible to non-hominins. Bone taphonomy indicates that hominin individuals reached the chamber complete, with disarticulation occurring during/after deposition. Hominins accumulated over time as older laminated mudstone units and sediment along the cave floor were eroded. Preliminary evidence is consistent with deliberate body disposal in a single location, by a hominin species other than Homo sapiens, at an as-yet unknown date.

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U2 - 10.7554/eLife.09561

DO - 10.7554/eLife.09561

M3 - Article

C2 - 26354289

AN - SCOPUS:84942038949

SN - 2050-084X

VL - 4

JO - eLife

JF - eLife

IS - September2015

M1 - e09561

ER -

Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa

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