A discovery in South Africa is changing the way we look at the history of our species. Scientists believe they've discovered another human-like species in a bone-filled cave in South Africa, as the fossils show characteristics of both humans and primates, according to the Associated Press.
The archaeologists are calling this new human relative "Homo Naledi," CNN reported. From the position and placement of the bones, they believe that they had been buried purposefully- a behavior that, up until recently, was exclusively a human convention.
Fifteen partial skeletons were found at the dig site, all of them belonging to the same species, according to BBC News. Researchers aren't yet sure of when this species lived, but they believe that these creatures were some of the first Homo species to exist.
The fossils show that these creatures walked upright and had hands and feet that looked more human. Their shoulders and brain, however, were more ape-like.
The cave was initially discovered in 2013, but the recent fossil find is just the beginning. The fossils were found 30 miles beneath the surface, and there is still so much left to explore, with thousands of skeletal remains believed to be hidden beneath the dirt.
