The 'Underground Astronauts' in search of new human species By Sheena McKenzie, for CNN Updated 1401 GMT (2201 HKT) May 4, 2016 (CNN)Hidden deep within the innards of a South African cave lay human evolution's equivalent of Tutankhamun's tomb. A treasure trove of 15 skeletons -- eight children, five adults and two adolescents -- all members of a previously unknown species of human ancestor. In the field of paleontology, uncovering just one complete skeleton has been likened to winning the lottery, but lying here were over 1,500 fossils amounting to multiple jackpots. This was the largest collection of homin remains -- part of the human lineage -- ever discovered on the continent. In 2013, American paleoanthropologist Lee Berger was tantalizingly close to finding them. But there was a catch. Separating Berger from this bounty of bones was a narrow passageway in the rock just 7 inches (18 centimeters) high, known as "Superman's Crawl." It was the only entrance and exit available to the fossils and would require superhuman powers to squeeze through it, particularly for a man of Berger's stature. The gap was roughly the width of a letterbox and was not really an option for Berger. But he found a way to get round it. Berger posted a job description on Facebook calling out for skinny cavers to join his team at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. In reality, being skinny was not enough, as the soon-to-be employees would need to hold their breath in order to wriggle through the constricted passage. To Berger's amazement, over 60 qualified applicants got in touch. In the end, he chose an all-female team of six. He called them his "Underground Astronauts". Together, they were about to bring home a baffling new addition to the human family tree. Berger had already firmly established himself in the field after discovering, in 2008, the fossils of yet another new species: Australopithecus sediba. Berger's nine-year-old son Matthew famously stumbled upon part of the skeleton -- "Dad I found a fossil!" -- while accompanying his father on a dig at the Malapa Nature Reserve, north of Johannesburg. But it was his discovery of naledi that really set Berger's name in the paleoanthropology stone, as it were. Finding Sediba, some five years earlier, had cemented Berger's conviction that this area of South Africa had more treasures hidden beneath the surface. It had already been dubbed the "Cradle of Humankind" for its abundance of fossils discovered in the 20th century. Based on your reading of the passage, answer the questions given below: i. Why was the discovery described as a ‘treasure trove’? ii. How can the discovery be compared to the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb? iii. What difficulty did Berger face with regard to the find? iv. From the passage, choose two qualities required of “Underground Astronauts’? v. What was the task assigned to this team of ‘Underground Astronauts’? vi. What was the discovery Berger made in 2008? vii. Why is the place described as “cradle of civilization”?
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Explanation:
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Answers to the above question is as follow:
(i) The discovery is described as a 'treasure trove' because tomb contains 15 skeletons -- eight children, five adults and two adolescents -- all members of a previously unknown species of human ancestor.
(ii) Because it included almost 5,000 classified artefacts, the majority of which were funerary and ritual in nature, the discovery can be compared to that of Tutankhamun's tomb. The king's magnificent canopic chest and a colossal statue of Anubis: Anubis Shrine were the two major artefacts unearthed in this area. Numerous shrines with golden statuettes of the king and deities, miniature boats, and two additional chariots were also on display. Two foetuses' mummies were also kept in this room.
(iii) Because of Berger's stature Berger, he was unable to go through the narrow passageway in the rock which was just 7 inches (18 centimeters) high, known as "Superman's Crawl." It was the only entrance and exit available to the fossils.
(iv) Two qualities required to be Underground Astronauts are as follow:
- skinny cavers.
- able to hold their breath for so long in order to wriggle through the constricted passage.
(v) The task assigned to "Underground Astronauts" was to bring home a baffling new addition to the human family tree.
(vi) In 2008, Berger discovered the fossils of new species, Australopithecus sediba.
(vii) The place is described as "cradle of civilization" for its abundance of fossils discovered in the 20th century.