Homo naledi could have used tools

Berger's conclusion that the cave was a burial chamber was also met with great scepticism by others in the field.

William Jungers, an anthropologist at the Stony Brook School of Medicine in New York "seems like a stretch to me".

Professor John Hawks, a member of Berger's team, told The Guardian that the evidence they found does not suggest they entered the chamber one at a time.

Some scientists have cast doubt on the team's find. Christoph Zollikofer, an anthropologist at the University of Zurich, told The Guardian that many of the bone characteristics used to claim naledi as a new species are seen in more primitive animals, and by definition cannot be used to define a new species.

Zollikofer said the few supposedly unique features that potentially define naledi need further scrutiny, as they may represent individual variation, or variation at the population level.

The fact that the fossils were found in a room deep underground, practically alone, in the absence of any other major fossil animals, suggests the possibility of a form of ritualised behaviour previously thought to be unique to humans.

It seems like the bodies were carried into the chamber, suggesting an understanding of death.

Homo naledi had a tiny brain, about the size of an orange, and a slender body, was about 1.5 metres tall and weighed about 45 kilograms.

Its teeth are similar to the earliest-known members of our genus, such Homo habilis, but the shoulders are more similar to those of apes.

The hands suggest tool-using capabilities, with extremely curved fingers, more curved than almost any other species of early hominin, which demonstrates climbing capabilities.

LB said the remains were so close to one of the most excavated sites in the world, and no one discovered them until now.

LB - we can tell that Naledi comes from "deep time".

Homo naledi is it'about 2.5 to 2.8 million years old but other scientists say that they are still working to determine the age of the fossils.

Today we unearth our past. We also unearth knowledge of our present - CP

Photo by News24 reporter Ahmed Areff.

Chief science and exploration officer at National Geographic Terry Garcia speaking now.

He says: Two years ago I received a phone call, it was from Lee Berger. He told me I have made a significant find and I want you to support it. It is moments like today that make it all worth it.

The world heritage site, which includes the famous Sterkfontein caves, has boasted several discoveries that illuminate the evolution of humans.

Three of the most significant discoveries made at the Cradle of Humankind include Mrs Ples, the most complete skull of an Australopithecus africanus, Little Foot, four foot bones belonging to an Australopithecus, and  the Taung Child, the skull of an Australopithecus africanus.