All-Female Burial Site of Extinct Human Relatives Baffles Scientists

  • تاريخ النشر: الجمعة، 26 يونيو 2026 زمن القراءة: دقيقة قراءة

Ancient enamel proteins from 23 teeth suggest all tested Homo naledi individuals were female

The Evidence Came From 23 Teeth

A Male-Specific Protein Was Missing

Nineteen Were Identified With High Confidence

Their Similarity Suddenly Makes More Sense

Earlier “Male” Fossils May Be Female

The Fossils Are Surprisingly Recent

The Cave Deepens the Mystery

A Female-Only Mortuary Practice Is Possible

A Genetic Deletion Offers Another Explanation

The Burial Claim Remains Contested

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A new analysis of fossil teeth from South Africa’s Rising Star cave system found no molecular evidence of males among the Homo naledi individuals tested. The result may explain why the remains have always appeared unusually similar.

The finding does not prove that the chamber was a female-only cemetery. Instead, it leaves scientists weighing selective treatment of the dead against an unexpected genetic feature in this extinct human relative.

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