Homo naledi: New species of human ancestor discovered in South Africa

When an amateur caver and university geologist arrived at Lee Berger's house one night in
late 2013 with a fragment of a fossil jawbone in hand, they broke out the beers and called
National Geographic.
Berger, a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, had
unearthed some major finds before. But he knew he had something big on his hands.
What he didn't know at the time is that it would shake up our understanding of the progress of
human evolution and even pose new questions about our identity.
Two years after they were tipped off by cavers plumbing the depths of the limestone tunnels
in the Rising Star Cave outside Johannesburg, Berger and his team have discovered what they
say is a new addition to our family tree.
The team is calling this new species of human relative "Homo naledi," and they say it appears
to have buried its dead -- a behavior scientists previously thought was limited to humans.
Berger's team came up with the startling theory just days after reaching the place where the
fossils -- consisting of infants, children, adults and elderly individuals -- were found, in a
previously isolated chamber within the cave.
The team believes that the chamber, located 30 meters underground in the Cradle of
Humanity world heritage site, was a burial ground -- and that Homo naledi could have used
fire to light the way.
"There is no damage from predators, there is no sign of a catastrophe. We had to come to the
inevitable conclusion that Homo naledi, a non-human species of hominid, was deliberately
disposing of its dead in that dark chamber. Why, we don't know," Berger told CNN.
"Until the moment of discovery of 'naledi,' I would have probably said to you that it was our
defining character. The idea of burial of the dead or ritualized body disposal is something
utterly uniquely human."
Standing at the entrance to the cave this week, Berger said: "We have just encountered
another species that perhaps thought about its own mortality, and went to great risk and effort
to dispose of its dead in a deep, remote, chamber right behind us."
"It absolutely questions what makes us human. And I don't think we know anymore what
does."
The first undisputed human burial dates to some 100,000 years ago, but because Berger's
team hasn't yet been able to date naledi's fossils, they aren't clear how significant their theory
is.
Berger tried to put the new find into perspective.
"This is like opening up Tutankhamen's tomb," he said. "It is that extreme and perhaps that
influential in this stage of our history."
Marchers show support for refugees in solidarity events across Europe

Throngs of people joined marches and vigils across Europe on Saturday in a show of
solidarity with the crowds of refugees seeking sanctuary from conflict in Syria and elsewhere.
A Facebook page set up for what is being called a European Day of Action for Refugees lists
dozens of events.
One such march, dubbed "Solidarity with Refugees," led through central London to Downing
Street, home of Prime Minister David Cameron -- who, after coming under national and
international pressure, said this week that Britain would take in up to 20,000 Syrian refugees
over the next five years.
Chants of "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here" echoed through the UK
capital's streets as thousands came out to join the demonstration.
Marchers carried placards saying "Don't Bomb Syria," "Refugees welcome" and "Solidarity
with refugees."
Other events were being staged in countries from Denmark, Austria and Romania to Greece,
Finland and France.
"We can't continue to allow thousands to die trying to reach Europe as they search for safety,
hope and the chance to live another day," the Facebook page states.
"We can't stay silent anymore as our politicians and the media are stigmatizing these men,
women and children as threats and burdens.
"We can't let our governments close all our borders and build fences to keep people in need
out. That's not what Europe should be about."
Some 30,000 people marched in Denmark's capital, Copenhagen police said on Twitter.

Italian priest offers sanctuary 02:44

European leaders have been struggling to cope with the massive influx of refugees and
migrants pouring across Europe's borders in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker set out proposals for
mandatory quotas for EU countries to take in 120,000 refugees who were already in Italy,
Greece and Hungary on top of plans made in May to relocate 40,000 from Italy and Greece.
EU member states must still agree to the European Commission's proposals, which are
backed by Germany. Their interior ministers are due to meet Monday in Brussels, Belgium,
to discuss the issue.
As many as 10,000 migrants are arriving in Germany per day, according to German Interior
Ministry spokesman Tobias Plate. Officials throughout the country have been asked to assist
with registration and accommodation needs, he said Saturday.
Four thousand German soldiers are on standby to help manage the refugee situation if
needed, a defense ministry spokesman said.
Hungarian camerawoman apologizes for kicking migrants

A Hungarian camerawoman has apologized for kicking desperate migrants as they fled,
saying her actions had nothing to do with racism.
In a video released this week, Petra Laszlo was documenting the wave of migrants, many
from the Middle East, sprinting from a holding camp in Hungary when she saw a man
running with a child in his arms.
She tripped him, sending them tumbling to the ground. Moments later, the same
camerawoman kicked other migrants, including a young girl, as they ran.
A backlash ensued after video of her attacks surfaced, prompting her employer -- the
Hungarian nationalist N1TV station -- to fire her.
Now the videographer says it was all a misunderstanding, one for which she's sorry.
The rush of migrants burst through a police cordon, which was scary, she wrote in a letter to
the daily Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet.
The letter describes how the ensuing panic scared her and made her think she would be
attacked.
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"I am very sorry for the incident, and as a mother I am especially sorry for the fact that fate
pushed a child in my way. I did not see that at that moment. I started to panic and as I re-
watch the film, it seems as it was not even me," her letter states.
Laszlo is being investigated on suspicion of committing a public nuisance offense, a
spokesman for the Public Prosecutor's Office of Szeged told CNN. Prosecutors are also
considering whether to investigate her on more serious offenses, the spokesman said.
Laszlo was one of the videographers filming the flood of migrants trying to get through
Hungary on the way to Austria and Germany. The migrants include refugees trying to escape
the carnage brought on by terrorists and war in their homelands.
After crossing from Serbia into Hungary with only the belongings they could carry, the
migrants were stuck for days at a holding camp in southern Hungary. Many complained
about uncomfortable or inhumane conditions in the camp.
After breaking through the holding camp's police line Tuesday, they scrambled across a field,
walked and hiked about 4 miles -- many dropping their possessions on the ground.
Hungary, a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention aimed at protecting refugees, has come
under criticism for its handling of migrants and for installing a razor-wire fence to stop the
flow.
Hungary has said it is just trying to enforce European Union laws on restricting migrants
without proper documentation.