Homo naledi dating challenges cognitive evolution model. Homo naledi lived roughly 236,000 to 335,000 years ago This is shockingly recent, potentially overlapping with early Homo sapiens The species lived at the same time as other large-brained humans
Homo naledi lived roughly 236,000 to 335,000 years ago—potentially overlapping with early Homo sapiens. This challenges the 'cerebral rubicon' theory requiring large brains for human intelligence. Small-brained hominins persisted late into the human story. đź§
Key Facts
- Homo naledi lived roughly 236,000 to 335,000 years ago
- This is shockingly recent, potentially overlapping with early Homo sapiens
- The species lived at the same time as other large-brained humans
- This challenges the 'cerebral rubicon' theory requiring 750 cmÂł brain size for true human intelligence
- Small-brained hominins like Homo naledi persisted late into the human story
- The discovery suggests intelligence may not depend purely on brain size but on structure and connectivity
- Multiple overlapping, coexisting human species existed simultaneously
- The traditional model of big brains leading to symbolic thought appearing 40-50,000 years ago is challenged
Related site: Rising Star Cave — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: We Found a Human Species That Shouldn’t Exist by Michael Button