The story of human phylogenesis was treat to a major re - muster in in the first place this class when a squad of researchers made a series of sensational claims about an ancient hominid know asHomo naledi . Despite possess a brain not much freehanded than that of a chimpanzee , this long - nonextant coinage apparently swallow its dead and beautify their Robert Graves with abstract markings – or so the researchers said .

Unsurprisingly , not everyone was win over , and a new study has teem a healthy Zen of cold pee on the recent spate inHomo naledi - mania . Not that that will do much to change the popular narration , given that the squad behind the spectacular claims have already free a Netflix docudrama tohype up their research .

Part of the contention stem from the fact that the evidence is hide within the inaccessibleRising Star cavein South Africa . To fit through a crevasse lead to the supposed burial sleeping accommodation , professor Lee Berger from the University of Witwatersrand first had to lose a huge amount of exercising weight , yet still wound himself during his exploration .

The unreachability of theHomo naledibones has prevented other researchers from accede the site and verifying Berger ’s findings , and the Rising Star team have not invited any external experts to analyze their evidence . To make matters worse , the investigator ’ findings were widely report before they were even peer - reviewed .

However , accord to the authors of a unexampled critical review , “ the match reviews were unanimous in study the evidence [ forHomo nalediburials and rock art ] inadequate in its present shape . ”

highlight the various flaws in Berger ’s last , the authors excuse , “ In a deliberate entombment , the dead body is broadly speaking articulated … [ yet from ] the evidence available at Rising Star Cave , we generalise that the hominin bone are not articulated but scatter . ”

“ [ T]he scattering of the elements implies they were not covered / protected after placement , ” continue the researchers .

Acknowledging that the cave does indeed stop the clay of at least 15Homo nalediindividuals , the cogitation author excuse that there are two potential scenario that could explicate the presence of these clappers : either a tiny - brained ancient hominid deliberatelycarried dead bodies into the caveand bury them in pits , or they were transported by instinctive process such as body of water drainage or carnivore activity .

According to the researchers , the innate cause of these clappers represent the more parsimonious hypothesis , yet Berger and his squad straightaway designate the scene a measured sepulture without utilize “ the canonical principle of archeothanatology ” to rule out terrestrial innate cognitive operation . Drawing a reasonably slapstick analogy , the author say that if you want to scientifically prove that your business firm was built by aliens , you must first handle the most potential scenario – in this case , that it was build by humans – and soundly disprove it before you’re able to pop to put forward your alternate hypothesis .

By miscarry to do this , the Rising Star squad “ have built a misleading , but persuasive discussion , where they do not try their theory but selectively describe the evidence that support their preferred scenario , ” the researchers write .

Moving on to the allegedHomo nalediengravings , the writer say that Berger and his colleagues have not made usance of any techniques to date these markings . Despite this , they assert in the title of their paper that the engravings were made between 335,000 and 241,000 years ago byHomo naledi .

Once again , these claims are not verified by any scientific grounds and entirely leave out another “ parsimonious ” explanation : that they may have been made by animals or more late human visitant .

All thing consider , then , the report authors are left to conclude : “ There is no convincing scientific grounds to suggest thatH. nalediburied their dead and bring forth rock fine art in the Rising Star Cave system of rules found on the information thus far presented . ”

The study is published in theJournal of Human Evolution .