New Fossils May Redraw Human Family Tree

Brett Eloff, via Lee Berger and the University of the Witwatersrand

A recently-discovered species, called Australopithecus sediba, may dislodge Homo habilis as the immediate human ancestor.

The new fossils are unusually complete. In addition to two skulls reported last year, researchers led by Dr. Berger have since retrieved an almost complete right hand, a foot and a pelvis. The bones are especially well preserved because their owners apparently fell into a deep cave and a few weeks later were swept into a sediment that quickly fossilized their bones.

Link to NYT article