Human Ancestor Falls Into Cave, Discovered a While Later

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Erik Hayden 3,391 Views Sep 8, 2011

Scientists have made a big discovery. It's called the Australopithecus sediba and it may be a relative of humanity's from a little while back. Give or take 2 million or so years. The fossils, found by Lee Berger of the University of Witwatersrand, are being hailed as a "game changer" by the Associated Press and "of great significance" by The New York Times. But academics cited in those same reports seem uncomfortable with bestowing it with the moniker as a "missing link." Found in South Africa, the fossil thing also looks like it met an unfortunate fate, which also happened to be a boon for the scientists. The Times describes:

The bones are especially well preserved because their owners apparently fell into a deep cave and a few weeks later were swept into a sediment that quickly fossilized their bones. The rocks above the cave have gradually eroded away, bringing the fossils to the surface, where one was found by Dr. Berger’s son, Matthew, in 2008.

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