Homo naledi fossil prints come to London

They are among the most sensational fossils to be found in Africa in recent years, and visitors to London's Natural History Museum can see what all the fuss is about on Friday. 3D prints of the remains of Homo naledi will be on display at the NHM's Science Uncovered event. They were given to the institution by the Johannesburg discovery team. Bones from perhaps 15 of the human-like creatures were recovered from a cave complex not far from the city. It is the biggest haul of fossil hominin remains ever identified on the African continent.

The researchers - led by Lee Berger of Wits University - have  scanned the bones to make faithful copies, and these have now been shared with the London museum. At Science Uncovered, Dr Louise Humphrey will be explaining their significance and what they could tell us about human origins. I think the effect on the field is transformative," she told, "not just because the morphology indicates a new species, but because there are so many unanswered questions.

"We don't yet know how old these fossils are. We don't know yet whether there will be full bodies in this chamber, or nearby chambers. The number of finds from a single fossil locality is unprecedented. There are apparently three small babies and three small children, some older children as well as some adults."NHM visitors will get to see a model of a skull. There are also examples of a hand, a foot, and some jaws. They are all small because, even as adults, naledi is diminutive, perhaps standing no taller than about 1.5m (5ft).

Wits University has previously shared casts of other fossils it is working on, including those of a more ancient creature called Australopithecus sediba, which was also found in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in Gauteng province. These too will be available on Friday to compare and contrast.