Why Is Naledi Not Human? The Shocking Truth

Who—or What—Is Naledi?

Well, if you’ve heard of Homo naledi, you might be wondering: Is it human or not? I had the same question when I first came across this mysterious species. My friend Jake, who’s obsessed with anthropology, was rambling about "a human cousin with a tiny brain" and I was like—wait, what?

Discovered in 2013 in the Rising Star Cave system in South Africa, Homo naledi is a species that lived around 250,000 to 300,000 years ago. It’s one of the most puzzling members of our evolutionary tree because it shares some human-like traits—but also some very primitive ones.

So, why isn't Naledi considered fully human? Let’s break it down.

Naledi’s Brain: Way Too Small for a Human

1. A Brain the Size of an Orange

This is the biggest red flag. Homo naledi’s brain was only about 465-610 cubic centimeters—that’s less than half the size of a modern human brain! To put that in perspective, that’s closer to a chimpanzee than to us.

Yet, despite this tiny brain, Naledi might have buried their dead and even used fire. (Yeah, that’s weirdly advanced for such a small brain!) But does intelligence alone make a species "human"? Not exactly.

Naledi’s Body: A Strange Mix of Ancient and Modern

2. Human-like Hands—But Not Quite

At first glance, Naledi’s hands look surprisingly human, especially the thumbs and fingers, which seem adapted for tool use. But here’s the catch—their fingers are super curved, like an ape’s. That suggests they spent a lot of time climbing.

So, were they smart climbers who used tools? Maybe. But that’s not how humans behave today.

3. A Bizarre Combination of Features

• Shoulders – More like a chimpanzee, designed for hanging and climbing.
• Pelvis – A weird mix of human and ancient traits, meaning they could probably walk upright but weren’t built exactly like us.
• Feet – Almost human! They could walk long distances, but their toes had some odd ape-like features.

Basically, Naledi looked like something stuck between humans and something much older—kind of a Frankenstein mix of ancient and modern traits.

Culture? Maybe. But Does That Make Them Human?

4. Did Homo Naledi Bury Their Dead?

This is where things get really interesting. Some evidence suggests Naledi intentionally placed their dead in caves. If that’s true, that’s a huge deal, because complex burial rituals are mostly associated with Homo sapiens.

But—and here’s the big "but"—there’s no clear proof of graves. Some scientists think the bodies just ended up in the cave naturally. Others argue that Naledi used fire and had a kind of primitive culture.

So, were they intelligent enough for culture, or just instinctively doing something practical? Nobody knows for sure.

So… Could They Talk?

5. The Mystery of Naledi’s Speech

To be human, you kinda need language, right? Well, Naledi’s brain was tiny, but its skull shape suggests it might have had some brain areas linked to speech.

The problem? They had no chin. (Yeah, weird detail, but hear me out.) In most primates, chins are missing, and humans developed them partly because of how we talk and chew. Without a chin, Naledi’s ability to produce speech might have been extremely limited.

So, even if they had some communication, it probably wasn’t like ours.

Conclusion: Close, But Not Human

Homo naledi is a fascinating mystery, but it’s just not quite human. They had some surprisingly advanced behaviors, but their tiny brains, climbing shoulders, and lack of complex tools put them in a different category.

They were something in between, a kind of evolutionary experiment that didn’t make it to modern times.

Honestly, though? If they were alive today, I bet we’d still be arguing about it.

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How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

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