Almost Human: The Astonishing Tale of Homo Naledi and the Discovery That Changed Our Human Story

By Lee Berger and John Hawks

This first-person narrative about an archaeological discovery is rewriting the story of human evolution. A story of defiance and determination by a controversial scientist, this is Lee Berger's own take on finding Homo naledi, an all-new species on the human family tree and one of the greatest discoveries of the 21st century.In 2013, Berger, a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, caught wind of a cache of bones in a hard-to-reach underground cave in South Africa. He put out a call around the world for petite collaborators-men and women small and adventurous enough to be able to squeeze through 8-inch tunnels to reach a sunless cave 40 feet underground. With this team of "underground astronauts," Berger made the discovery of a lifetime: hundreds of prehistoric bones, including entire skeletons of at least 15 individuals, all perhaps two million years old. Their features combined those of known prehominids like Lucy, the famousAustralopithecus, with those more human than anything ever before seen in prehistoric remains. Berger's team had discovered an all new species, and they called it Homo naledi.The cave quickly proved to be the richest prehominid site ever discovered, full of implications that shake the very foundation of how we define what makes us human. Did this species come before, during, or after the emergence of Homo sapiens on our evolutionary tree? How did the cave come to contain nothing but the remains of these individuals? Did they bury their dead? If so, they must have had a level of self-knowledge, including an awareness of death. And yet those are the very characteristics used to define what makes us human. Did an equally advanced species inhabit Earth with us, or before us? Berger does not hesitate to address all these questions. Berger is a charming and controversial figure, and some colleagues question his interpretation of this and other finds. But in these pages, this charismatic and visionary paleontologist counters their arguments and tells his personal story: a rich and readable narrative about science, exploration, and what it means to be human.

• Language: English
• Publisher: National Geographic
• Release date: May 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9781426218125

Reviews for Almost Human

[unclebob53703 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An exciting story of discovery, but the science feels rushed, which of course it is, and inconclusive, which it also is. The authors admit as much--their main discovery is that there is likely so much left undiscovered. They reference two of my favorite books on the subject, Don Johan's "Lucy" and Richard Leakey's "Origins," which made me feel right at home, and the use and detailing of modern techniques (the internet, laser imaging, social media) made the story timely. Looking forward to hearing more from these guys.

[montzaleew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this science/ history!The Astonishing Tale of Homo Naledi and the Discovery That Changed Our Human StoryBy: Lee Berger, John HawksNarrated by: Donald CorrenThis book is really good explaining the various finds before his and the significance of them on science. The author started with his life and followed through to the find, the difficulty of getting the fossils out, but the thrill of finding a new hominid species. I think he talked a bit too much about himself in the beginning because I just wanted to hear about the finds.I enjoyed it. Easy to understand and he brings his passion for his job through to the book!

[monado_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This clear, engaging, and well organized book tells of the discovery of two new fossils in the human lineage: Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi, both in the Cradle of Mankind in South Africa. Through diligent scanning of the landscape, Lee Berger has discovered 70 possible new fossil sites. Visiting one of them in 2008, he and his son discovered fossils on the surface that led to a new species. Then in 2013, he was told of fossils in a cave and was able to organize an expedition to recover them. Due to the narrow entrance, only very small cavers could enter, which led to an all-female team of paleontologists doing the actual recovery. After these fossils were discovered and cleaned, Berger held a workshop where teams from all over the world could examine the fossils and write their own papers on the discovery. This is science at its best.