Discovering Homo Naledi: Journey to Find a Human Ancestor, Part 1 | Nat Geo Live

Summary

Lee Berger recounts his groundbreaking discoveries in South Africa, combining technology like satellite imagery and GPS to map fossil sites. His journey led to the discovery of over 600 cave sites and 60 new fossil sites. A pivotal moment occurred when his 9-year-old son Matthew found a hominid skeleton, sparking a series of extraordinary findings at Malapa. Berger’s exploration reignited after realizing he had paused fieldwork, and with a dedicated team, they uncovered fossils from previously overlooked caves, marking a major contribution to paleoanthropology.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Lee explored South Africa using satellite imagery and GPS to map cave and fossil sites.
• 🦴 His exploration led him to discover over 600 new cave sites and 60 new fossil sites by mid-2008.
• 📜 Initially, Lee thought this discovery would be his legacy and contribution to future scientists.
• 📉 Lee faced a career challenge in the 1990s when paleoanthropology seemed to be focusing on technology rather than exploration.
• 💼 A tragedy occurred when the young man set to lead a new paleoanthropology direction died in an accident.
• 👨‍👦 Lee’s son Matthew found a fossil at a cave site, leading to the discovery of an ancient hominid skeleton.
• 🎉 The Malapa site, where Matthew found the skeleton, became a significant discovery with multiple skeletons and excellent preservation.
• 📚 The Malapa findings resulted in a series of scientific breakthroughs, including many papers published in top journals.
• ⛰️ In 2013, Lee realized he hadn’t returned to hundreds of unexplored sites and decided to restart his exploration efforts.
• 🦠 The Rising Star cave system, previously thought to be fully mapped, led to the discovery of new fossils after Lee’s team squeezed into previously unexplored passages.

Q & A

What motivated Lee to begin exploring South African cave sites?

Lee was intrigued by the patterns he noticed in satellite imagery and handheld GPS data, where cave and fossil sites appeared to form linear clusters. This prompted him to explore further and map new sites.

How successful was Lee in his early exploration efforts in 2008?

Lee's exploration was highly successful. On his first day, he discovered 21 new cave sites, and by July of 2008, he had identified over 600 cave sites and 60 new fossil sites.

What personal tragedy influenced the direction of Lee's paleoanthropological work?

The death of a young man who was supposed to take over Lee's directorship position in a motorcycle accident in London influenced Lee’s decision to take on post-doctoral student Job Kibii and continue fieldwork at a site that intrigued him.

What role did Lee's son Matthew play in the discovery at the Malapa site?

Matthew, who was only nine years old at the time, found the first fossil at the Malapa site. This discovery led to the unearthing of multiple hominid skeletons, one of the richest early hominid sites in Africa.

What made the Malapa site so significant in paleoanthropology?

The Malapa site contained hominid skeletons in remarkably pristine condition, including rare finds like clavicles and jaws. It became one of the richest early hominid sites in Africa, leading to numerous significant scientific papers and discoveries.

Why did Lee feel he had made an error by 2013?

Lee realized he had stopped exploring after the Malapa discovery, focusing instead on publishing and building a research team. He felt he had neglected further exploration of the hundreds of other potential sites he had previously identified.

How did Lee plan to reignite his exploration efforts in 2013?

Lee decided to return to the field to explore the caves he had previously mapped. He aimed to take his surface imaging knowledge underground, even though past cave explorations hadn’t yielded much.

Who was Pedro Boschoff, and how did he contribute to Lee's exploration efforts?

Pedro Boschoff, a former student of Lee’s, returned after a failed diamond prospecting venture and asked to rejoin paleoanthropology. He helped Lee initiate underground explorations, though both found themselves physically unfit for the narrow cave passages.

Who were Rick Hunter and Steve Tucker, and why were they essential to the exploration?

Rick Hunter and Steve Tucker were recruited from the caving club due to their small size, which allowed them to navigate narrow cave passages. They played a key role in discovering new fossils in the Rising Star cave system.

What was the significance of the Rising Star cave system in the exploration?

The Rising Star cave system, previously thought to be fully explored, contained deep, narrow passages that led Rick and Steve to new fossil discoveries. These discoveries marked an unexpected breakthrough in the search for early human ancestors.