Homo naledi Skull LES1

BH-061 $395.00

The hominin species Homo naledi, was first discovered in 2013 in the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system in South Africa. Since then, fossils representing at least 18 additional individuals have been excavated, making the Rising Star Cave site the largest known collection of a single hominin species ever discovered in Africa. The fossils are dated to be approximately 335,000 and 236,000 years old.

What makes Homo naledi especially significant in the story of human evolution is its unusual mosaic of derived and ancestral anatomical features, as well as the fact that it lived in the same region and during the same time as early humans. H. naledi had a small brain, with a cranial capacity of just 465–610 cc—comparable to earlier australopithecines. Like members of the genus Homo, H. naledi possessed reduced postorbital constriction of the cranium, small teeth, and a gracile mandible. Postcranially, H. naledi retained more primitive characteristics, resembling the body plan of australopithecines.

The LES1 skull comes from the LES1 skeleton found in the Lesedi chamber within the Rising Star Cave system in South Africa. Based on partial cranial reconstruction, the endocranial volume was estimated to be 610cc.

In June 2026, a study of dental enamel proteins produced a surprising result: every excavated H. naledi tooth analyzed contained protein markers consistent with female biological sex (Madupe et al. 2026). This unexpected finding deepens the mystery surrounding Homo naledi, raising new questions about the composition of the fossil assemblage, the species' biology, and the circumstances that led to the accumulation of these remains in the Rising Star Cave system.

Reference Article

Madupe et al., Proteomic analysis of dental enamel from 20 Homo naledi individuals shows no male markers, Cell (2026), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2026.05.044

2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw).

A custom metal display stand is available below.

Jaw available individually as well, please inquire.

The Bone Clones® Fossil Hominid line is composed of discoveries from anatomically modern humans, archaic humans, early Homo, early hominins, and other hominids. The majority of the casts in this line have been recreated by our team of anatomical sculptors. Some are reconstructions made by anthropology professionals using fragmentary elements from original discoveries and extrapolating the missing parts from those (i.e. Neanderthal skeleton).