User:Krobich2/Lindsay Hunter

Archeologist Lidnsay Hunter Lindsay Hunter is a Biological Anthropologist who has explored many areas of the world. Lindsay has served at the Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA) taking on the role of Community Engagement and Advancement Director since the year 2019. She also has a degree as an Archaeologist and Paleontologist. She primarily specializes in the evolution of human anatomy and the evolution of the Pleistocene hominin. Lindsay received her master’s degree in 2004 from the University of Iowa. She has studied the remains of fossils and humans across 5 continents. Hunter received 2 major Grants that accompanied her during her research through her journey of 5 continents. One of those grants was from the “National Science Foundation” (United States) and the other grant was from the “Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research.”

Through her studies of the Pleistocene era evolution, Hunter has dedicated many hours and research through her studies. The Pleistocene era is a period on Earth that took place about 2.8 million years ago and ended roughly around eleven thousand years ago. The Pleistocene era is also known as the “Ice Age.” The Ice Age Era contained species of giant sloths and woolly mammoths. Hominin is a member of the Primate family that consists of the Homo sapiens family, that species being humans. Hominins refer to the extinct members of the human lineage. This means she discovers more and more information in regard to the evolution of humans through the Great Apes. Through Paleontology and Archeology, one can learn the history of a species or artifacts. Paleontology focuses on the study of fossilized animals and plants, while Archeology is the study of human history. In Archeology, artifacts can be discovered through excavational digs, and archeologists can determine the time it was produced and where it was primarily used throughout history. Through Hunter’s studies, she learns about the evolution of human remains and how they evolved from apes throughout history. Since Hunter has a degree in biological anthropology, she and other scientists can determine the lifestyle of human or animal remains. In the year 2013, Lindsay Hunter was one of six candidates for an expedition in the cave located in South Africa. Lindsay has seen a post from Lee Berger, a Paleontologist and researcher of human ancestors. She has seen his post on Facebook that read “The person must be skinny and preferably small. They must not be claustrophobic, they must be fit, they should have some caving experience, climbing experience would be a bonus. They must be willing to work in cramped quarters” (Jessica Rogen). Typically, one does not see a research call on social media. She originally sent the Facebook post to a friend of hers. After she sent the post to her friend, she was only then confident enough to apply for the job.

The cave was first discovered by two cave explorers, and those two civilians were the ones to first see what looked to be human remains. The passageway to get to the bones was so slim, that Hunter was one of the only few people to fit between the two passageways. One passageway was only 17 centimeters, while the other passageway was 30 centimeters. The cave was pitch black. Hunter had to perform the crawling technique where she had to keep her head turned to the side while her arms were outstretched. This technique is called the “Superman Crawl” due to the fact of how small the cave was. Hunter also had to climb a part of the cave called the “Dragon’s Back”, here is where they have a jagged ledge and a steep drop-off. She would also have to go down a 40- foot drop that had a 7-inch pinch point. A pinch point is when it is originally opened enough to go down but comes upon a narrower area called a pinch. For example, when you pinch a straw and there is little to no space where you pinch it at. After surpassing the pinch point, Hunter enters into an open underground chamber where she can see the remains.

The team that did the excavation dig in the cave in South Africa was a team of six females. The team became well known as the “Underground Astronauts.” The expedition took over 2 years to complete. Within those two years, the “Underground Astronauts” discovered one thousand five hundred and fifty bones. In the mix of those bones, Hunter discovered certain bones that brought evidence to be a new species of Hominin. One of those contains features of both human bones as well as ape bones.

The cave contained a variety of bones that ranged from elderly bones and infant bones. The bones were named Naledi, after the local African language in the area meaning “star.” The bones were described to “have a small, round head and a chimp-sized brain—a third the size of a modern human brain. Homo naledi also had a more ape-like torso and shoulders, as well as long curved fingers useful for climbing trees and rocks. Otherwise, the skeletons bore more resemblance to a five-foot tall, 100-pound human than a modern ape” (Shelbi Thomas). This was a discovery never seen before in the world by any archeologists or paleontologists, causing the new classification of hominin species.

To this day scientists do not know how they ended up in the cave. They also do not quite understand the history of this species. It is believed that the Homo naledi species was roaming the Earth during the middle of the Pleistocene Era dating to be about three hundred and thirty-five thousand to two hundred and thirty-six years ago. Do you think that these are possibly the bones of a prehistoric caveman or a regular ape? Do you believe humans evolved from the Great Apes? Hopefully, more bones similar to the ones discovered in the South African Cave can be discovered, so that future scientists could decipher the history that these humans or apes brought to the world and how they traveled. The expedition was a very successful trip, to say the least!

Citations

K. Lindsay Hunter’s New Evolutionary Find Annotated Bibliography Explorer Home. explorers.nationalgeographic.org/directory/lindsay-hunter.

“Rising Stars of Anthropology.” University of Iowa, magazine.foriowa.org/archive/archivestory.php?ed=true&storyid=1552

Rogen, Jessica. “‘Underground Astronaut’ Alumna Found Her Passion at UMSL - UMSL Daily.” UMSL Daily, 7 Jan. 2024, blogs.umsl.edu/news/2019/08/26/lindsay-hunter.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Hominin.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 1 Mar. 2024, www.britannica.com/topic/hominin.