Endocast morphology of <i>Homo naledi</i> from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa.

Abstract

Hominin cranial remains from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa, represent multiple individuals of the species <i>Homo naledi</i> This species exhibits a small endocranial volume comparable to <i>Australopithecus</i>, combined with several aspects of external cranial anatomy similar to larger-brained species of <i>Homo</i> such as <i>Homo habilis</i> and <i>Homo erectus</i> Here, we describe the endocast anatomy of this recently discovered species. Despite the small size of the <i>H. naledi</i> endocasts, they share several aspects of structure in common with other species of <i>Homo</i>, not found in other hominins or great apes, notably in the organization of the inferior frontal and lateral orbital gyri. The presence of such structural innovations in a small-brained hominin may have relevance to behavioral evolution within the genus <i>Homo</i>.