UK professor part of team that revealed new human ancestor

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – A University of Kentucky paleoanthropologist was part of a team that revealed the discovery of a new species of human relative, Homo naledi.

Two papers published today in the online journal eLife describe the species.  Andrew Deane, associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology at UK, served as a member of the Rising Star Expedition, a team of international scientists tasked with cataloging more than 1,500 fossils recovered from a cavern in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. Deane focused on the hand and the foot of the new species.

To learn more about the species, click here.