Furor in scientific community over claims that small-brained early humans were intelligent

A row has erupted nearly a month after scientists claimed that the ancient human species Homo naledi displayed sophisticated behaviour, despite having much smaller brains than us, the Homo sapiens. The study, which was not peer-reviewed then, had opened a conversation about human evolution and whether we had got some aspects wrong. The tide, however, has turned now.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Peer reviews of the H. naledi study are in and they are scathing in their assessment - accusing the researchers of overexaggerating the facts.

“These claims are inadequate, incomplete and are largely assumption-based – rather than evidence-based,” said one, while another called the papers "imprudent and incomplete". Meanwhile, a third dismissed the finding saying the papers “do not present convincing evidence”.

“I have no issue with the idea that non-Homo sapiens species disposed of their dead, but I do have an expectation that there is robust scientific evidence to support such statements before scientists go on massive media campaigns regarding these ideas,” palaeoanthropologist Andy Herries of La Trobe University in Melbourne was quoted as saying byThe Guardian.

Some displayed their displeasure saying the Netflix documentary, Unknown: Cave of Bones, based on the findings, screened last week, could detract from the study of the site in future.

“Rising Star is such a great site and thenaledimaterial is so wonderful that there was really no need to over-egg the pudding,” said Prof Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum, London, adding, “It’s going to cause problems of credibility in future, which may even affect funding for more work.”

“To push a notion that is so unsubstantiated that it has met with rejection by the scientific community is irresponsible,” added Paige Madison, a researcher at Arizona State University.

WATCH |Ancient human civilisation needed three attempts & 12,000 years to colonise Europe: Study

×

What did the study claim?

Last month, three studies, published in the journal eLife claimed that H naledi not only buried their dead but made engravings deep within a cave system in southern Africa some 300,000 years ago.

Paleoanthropologist Lee Berger, who first reported the discovery of Homo naledi in 2013inside the Rising Star cave system 25 miles northwest of Johannesburg, was responsible for the new claims.

Berger and his team found more than 1,800 bone fragments deep in an underground chamber reachable only by a four-story vertical drop. The only plausible explanation for the situation seemed like a burial which may push the "body burials" timeline by at least 10,000 years, the research argued.

"The position and intactness of some skeletal remains suggested that the dead may have been carefully laid out on the floor of the chamber rather than tossed down the Chute to collect as a jumble of bones at its base," read the report.

Despite the negative reaction from the scientific community, Berger's book Cave of Bones will be published by National Geographic next month.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: