READING THE BONES

Close focus on a spectacular set of 2013 fossil finds in South Africa leads to a comprehensive overview of Homo sapiens’ extinct cousins and progenitors.

The actual discovery of Homo naledi skeletons—parts of more than 15 individuals, the largest trove of hominid fossils yet found in Africa—in the narrow and tortuous Rising Star cave makes an exhilarating tale. Both of the authors being educators, though, that’s only their starting point as they draw readers in by addressing them directly, slip in questions to consider, and lace their narrative with mysteries to ponder. They also describe how women and Black South African scientists and students were recruited into the project and how, through videos and social media, even schoolchildren in other countries (including Mead’s sixth grade class) were able to follow its progress. What the authors characterize as a “story-in-motion” gains further nuance from detailed introductions to 19 (and counting, if anything comes of a 2025 find in China) more human predecessors. Foley offers a nifty cross-section of the cave system, as well as portraits of racially diverse workers in engaging poses. Lucid sidebar explanations of the difference between “hominid” and “hominin” and other fine points of paleontology, along with a generous capping set of annotated resources, further strengthen this enticing invitation to witness science in action.

A big, multistranded discovery story.