'A weird result from an already weird hominin': Archaeologists discover all Homo naledi skeletons found in South African cave are female
Archaeologists have discovered a South African cave containing Homo naledi skeletons that are exclusively female.
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📍 How it ended
Archaeologists discovered that all Homo naledi skeletons found in a South African cave system appear to be female. Scientists were baffled by this result and sought to learn why the site consisted of only one sex.
The story quieted without a definitive conclusion in the coverage.
Epilogue added 19d ago, after coverage quieted.
The brief
Researchers discovered 20 Homo naledi skeletons in a South African cave and determined that every individual is female. This finding marks the site as a potentially unique, women-only location for this archaic human species.
Coverage from National Geographic, CNN, and Live Science emphasizes the mysterious nature of the discovery, with some reports describing the result as "weird" given the nature of the hominin. The Times suggests the site may represent the world's first women-only tomb.
Scientists now aim to determine why all the fossils found at this specific site are of the same sex, according to reports from CNN and ScienceAlert.
Synthesized by Archynetys from the headlines below under a strict no-invention contract. ✓ fact-checked: all claims supported by sources Updated 21d ago.
Quick answers
How many Homo naledi skeletons were found in the cave?
Scientists found 20 Homo naledi skeletons.
Where was this discovery made?
The skeletons were discovered in a cave in South Africa.
What is unique about these fossils?
All of the skeletons found at the site are female.
Coverage (10)
- Study suggests all Homo naledi skeletons from South African cave are female Archaeology News Online Magazine · 20d ago
- Fossils of archaic human Homo naledi found in a cave are the same sex. Scientists want to learn why CNN · 21d ago
- All known Homo naledi skeletons seem to be female New Scientist · 21d ago
- Ancient proteins hint at all-female Homo naledi burial site in Rising Star cave system Phys.org · 21d ago
- Burial site of all female extinct human relatives baffles scientists Popular Science · 21d ago
- A tomb of one’s own: ancient cave may be world’s first women-only site The Times · 21d ago
- A Controversial Ancient Human Burial Site Just Got More Mysterious ScienceAlert · 21d ago
- Scientists found 20 Homo naledi in a cave. Why are they all female? National Geographic · 21d ago
- Fossils of archaic human Homo naledi found in a cave are the same sex. Scientists want to learn why CNN · 21d ago
- 'A weird result from an already weird hominin': Archaeologists discover all Homo naledi skeletons found in South African cave are female Live Science · 21d ago
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