Cape Town - The discovery and existence of a new species, Homo naledi (H. naledi), was revealed in 2015, indicating a possible missing link in our understanding of the evolution of humankind.
This morning scientists will reveal more surprising discoveries made around this.
Here we flashback and give you eight fast facts about Homo naledi from 2015:
1. H. naledi was initially discovered in 2013 in the Dinaledi Chamber at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in Maropeng in Gauteng.
2. H. naledi was named after the Rising Star cave. Naledi means "star" in Sesotho.
3. H. naledi is a newly discovered species possessing a mixture of physical primitive and human-like characteristics indicating it could use tools and walk upright but also climbed and had a brain size associated with earlier hominin.
4. The average H. naledi had a small brain, weighed approximately 45kg, was 1.5 metres in height, and - if it were female - would need to shop for the smallest shoes in the adult section.
5. To date, roughly 1 550 numbered fossil elements were found and are believed to represent at least 15 individuals, making it the single largest fossil hominin find yet made in Africa.
6. The location and nature of the find is significant because - after testing other theories - it appears that H. naledi intentionally deposited its dead in the remote chamber, the sort of behaviour previously thought to be limited to humans.
7. The expedition team said they encountered some of the most difficult and dangerous conditions ever in the search for human origins.
8. The entrance to the cave was so small a call had to be put out on social media for experienced scientists small enough to fit into the 18-centimetre opening. Six female "underground astronauts" were chosen from a global pool of candidates.
ANA