In 2014, rock-climbing brothers Tucker and Rick Hunter found ancient human fossils at the Rising Star cave in Malapa. They had gone there– to the Cradle of Humankind– looking for human fossils for a scientist in Johannesburg.

The fossils belonged to a new species of the Homo genus, Homo naledi, whose name means star (after the cave it was found in). Its discovery could clarify the fuzzy two-to-three million-year gap between Australopithecus afarensis (nicknamed “Lucy”) and Homo erectus.

Homo erectus had developed tools and rituals, a larger brain, and similar features to present man. Lucy and her kind, however, were a few steps behind. They were more suited to walking on all fours and could not walk long distances on two legs, like Homo erectus could, and had a much smaller brain. Homo habilis is one contender for the space between, but it is not much older or different than Homo erectus, and so the dark gap remained.

Homo naledi, however, was found in the cavern. Because childrens’ skeletons were found among the bones, anthropologists believe that they were placed there on purpose, as they cannot find any other viable explanation. Predators could not have done it because there was no evidence of injury, and water could not have done it because there were no water marks. However, scientists do not know if they were placed there because of a ritual or merely to get rid of the bodies.

Physically, Homo naledi’s jaws, unlike those of Lucy, are also quite similar to those of Homo erectus, but they still retained her small brain. Effectively, these changes place could them in the middle of the dark gap. Homo naledi’s hands are also slightly curved, just like a human’s, in a way that suggests tool use. If indeed they had developed tools, they would be the first in the Homo genus to do so, and they would add to the way human evolution is currently taught.

Although Homo naledi has the potential to be a significant discovery, its impact reaching as far as even Vernon Hills High School classrooms, there are currently more questions than answers.

“[The main] problem with this species is they don’t have a date,” Biology teacher Mr. Craig Bomgaars said.

Usually, fossils are found between layers of volcanic rock (which can be dated through a radioactive isotope) and their age is based off of the distance from deposit to deposit. As Homo naledi was found in a cave rather than in rock and dirt, there is no volcanic rock to compare it to; so it can only be dated by its features, which can place it in a number of places along the line of human evolution. Scientists cannot tell if there truly is a link between Lucy and Homo erectus unless they have a specific age.

“The hype around [Homo naledi] is comparable to Australopithecus afarensis and other Homo genus hominids. But until there is more concrete evidence about it, it should not be assumed to be a major discovery,” Aakash Setty (11), founder of the Future Medical Professionals of America club, agreed. “[But], it is good that there is hype around this, because we need to start addressing more scientific issues. Every time we hear more about ancestral species and evolution, it is bringing us to a more scientifically aware community, and that translates into issues such as global warming and species that are going extinct.”

Although Homo naledi might add to our understanding of human evolution, there is currently just more hype than actual information to be found. As technology advances, scientists might find ways to date the fossils, but for now, they are stuck in the premier parts of research.