Scientists have discovered evidence of members of a mysterious species that buried the dead and carved symbols in caves long before modern humans did.

The brains belonging to individuals of this extinct species, known as Homo naledi, were 1/3 the size of modern humans.

The discoveries could change our understanding of the development of the human species, because until now, this type of behavior was only associated with Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. The discoveries are detailed in 3 studies that will be published in the “eLife” magazine.

Fossils belonging to Homo naledi were first discovered in a group of cubs in South Africa in 2013, where fossils of other species have also been found before.

In addition to fossils, wall drawings were also found in these caves, which are estimated to be 241-335 thousand years old. Similar drawings were made by Homo sapiens and Neanderthals 80 and 60 thousand years ago.

“We discovered that they performed ancient burial rituals, used symbols and performed activities for this day. Although with smaller brains than humans, these species performed complex activities related to honoring the dead,” said paleoanthropologist and “National Geographic” explorer, Dr. Lee Berger. “This shows that these practices, which are still used today in the modern world, may not have been invented by humans.”

Berger explained that Homo naledi has some similarities to humans, such as walking upright on two legs and changing the shape of objects with its hands, but it had a smaller head, shorter stature and, despite being leaner, had a more muscular build. strong.

Fossils of babies of this species were also found in these caves and scientists think that the place was used as a cemetery. Researchers will continue to work on these discoveries, to understand how long an individual of this species lived, how close to Homo sapiens he lived and if any DNA samples can be identified and analyzed.