New Human Species with Orange-Sized Brain Discovered
Author of Science Article: Charles Q. Choi
Analysis by : Jessica Vela
Analysis by : Jessica Vela
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Summary:
New human Species with Orange-Sized Brain Discovered is an article involved with the evolution of the human species through time. Recently, a newly discovered extinct species of humans was found to contain a brain the size of an orange, definitely smaller than the human brain of present-day. The species, named homo naledi was found in a cave known as Rising Star in Africa with a mixture of features such as feet that seemed to be adapted to the life on the ground, but fingers that are more curved, suggesting that they could have also spent life high on trees to prevent predators. This extinct species was a member of the genus homo just as modern humans are. Due to their recent discovery, scientist are still not sure how far back the human relative dates back to. The remnant bones of the homo naledi were found by two cavers named Rick Hunter and Steven Tucker, where scientists recovered more than 1,550 bones and bone fragments in a chamber named Dinaledi. The bones represent at least about 15 individuals who range in age. The homo naledi stood about 5 feet and weighed about 100 lbs.
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The most surprising discovery of this species is the size of their brain and the ritualized behavior of death that they were thought to do. The place where researchers found the bones was surprising, because the chamber had too many individuals close to each other, they could not have all died together. This means that the homo naledi were capable of disposing the dead, actions that modern humans do. When a person dies, modern civilization buries them. Similarly, the homo naledi would get rid of the dead and appeared to take them all to the cave where they have recently been found. Their actions appear to have a comprehension of rituals for the dead, which is surprising for the size of their brain. The species could have put the bodies in the cave to get rid of the smells, maybe they buried the dead out of reverence. It is still not certain where the homo naledi fit in the human family tree, but their discovery yields an important evolution fact of humanity, especially of the development of human intelligence.
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Critique:
This specific article was picked to be analyzed due to an interest of the evolution of humankind. The article sparks an interest in the evolution of the human brain, which is probably humanity’s biggest mystery. So far, humans are the only species known of so far in the entire universe that contain a highly intelligent organ such as the brain, which is highly capable of developing its own thought. Studying evolution can ultimately discover the path that converted us to intelligent beings. That is the main reason to why the action of burying the dead is an important action of the homo naledi to understand, considering the size of their brain. Through an understanding of evolution, humanity can understand where the fate of human evolution will go further to in the future. Evolution occurs and changes a species accordingly so that it is able to survive in its environment. If change occurs in the environment, evolution changes the species through time to ensure its survival. If change occurs too rapidly, extinction occurs such as it happened to the homo naledi, evolution did not have time to change the species in order to adapt. Due to the continuous change of planet earth, species naturally have to adapt, in the modern day there are many unnatural environmental changes that are caused by humankind, such as our contribution to global warming, which over time can alter our evolution in the future.
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The article is important to the world of today because it can help study the evolution of other species to understand the way humanity evolved. This finding has been so important to modern science that the detailed findings of scientists have reported their work in the cover story of the 2015 October issue in the National Geographic magazine, the findings also aired on television in the NOVA/National Geographic Special “Dawn of humanity” on September 16, 2015. This science news can start a new revolution of evolution discoveries that can answer how humans have developed our extremely rare intelligence and from what origin exactly have we arisen out of.
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Note from Jessica: Do you want to know more detail about this investigation beyond the atricle analysis and the actual article attached ? Read more from National Geographics! Click the button below!
APA Work Cited
New Human Species with Orange-Size Brain Discovered. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from http://www.livescience.com/52132-new-human-species-with-orange-size-brain-performed-ritual-burials.html
*Note: Besides the cited article, the citations for pictures are included when you click on them, such as to the National Geographic article, to which many of these pictures belong.