we’ve all seen crime investigation shows where they find a skull in the woods and
where they find a skull in the woods and
where they find a skull in the woods and they take it to a forensic artist who
they take it to a forensic artist who
they take it to a forensic artist who builds the soft tissue of the face back
builds the soft tissue of the face back
builds the soft tissue of the face back on and it becomes a recognizable entity
on and it becomes a recognizable entity
on and it becomes a recognizable entity and the crime is sometimes solved but
and the crime is sometimes solved but
and the crime is sometimes solved but how do you do that for an extinct
how do you do that for an extinct
how do you do that for an extinct species this is a reconstruction of Homo
species this is a reconstruction of Homo
species this is a reconstruction of Homo Naledi it’s based on fossils that were
Naledi it’s based on fossils that were
Naledi it’s based on fossils that were found the fall of 2013 deep inside of a
found the fall of 2013 deep inside of a
found the fall of 2013 deep inside of a cave in South Africa it’s a very
cave in South Africa it’s a very
cave in South Africa it’s a very interesting species it’s not very much
interesting species it’s not very much
interesting species it’s not very much like anything we’ve found before so I
like anything we’ve found before so I
like anything we’ve found before so I doubt if there’s going to be much
doubt if there’s going to be much
doubt if there’s going to be much argument that this represents a new
argument that this represents a new
argument that this represents a new species
basically what I do is study the
basically what I do is study the evidence that exists in the fossil
evidence that exists in the fossil
evidence that exists in the fossil record and I use that evidence to
record and I use that evidence to
record and I use that evidence to predict what a face might look like the
predict what a face might look like the
predict what a face might look like the key to all that is comparative anatomy
key to all that is comparative anatomy
key to all that is comparative anatomy so I have to do a lot of facial
so I have to do a lot of facial
so I have to do a lot of facial dissection of great apes African Apes
dissection of great apes African Apes
dissection of great apes African Apes and orangutans and humans from the very
and orangutans and humans from the very
and orangutans and humans from the very beginning this is such a fascinating
beginning this is such a fascinating
beginning this is such a fascinating ancestor to work on because it’s such a
ancestor to work on because it’s such a
ancestor to work on because it’s such a weird combination of primitive and more
weird combination of primitive and more
weird combination of primitive and more human-like traits you start with a skull
human-like traits you start with a skull
human-like traits you start with a skull and certain measurements on that skull
and certain measurements on that skull
and certain measurements on that skull tell you some things about the soft
tell you some things about the soft
tell you some things about the soft tissue of the face the ears are a
tissue of the face the ears are a
tissue of the face the ears are a boondoggle really for people like me who
boondoggle really for people like me who
boondoggle really for people like me who reconstruct heads because there’s not
reconstruct heads because there’s not
reconstruct heads because there’s not much information a skull can tell you
much information a skull can tell you
much information a skull can tell you about the form of the ears it’s not true
about the form of the ears it’s not true
about the form of the ears it’s not true with noses Naledi
with noses Naledi
with noses Naledi had a spine right at the base of the
had a spine right at the base of the
had a spine right at the base of the nasal opening that projects out of the
nasal opening that projects out of the
nasal opening that projects out of the nasal cavity then that tells you that
nasal cavity then that tells you that
nasal cavity then that tells you that there is at least somewhat of a
there is at least somewhat of a
there is at least somewhat of a projecting nose and that’s a human
projecting nose and that’s a human
projecting nose and that’s a human characteristic
and skin color is a problem I obviously
and skin color is a problem I obviously have to deal with when I’m thinking
have to deal with when I’m thinking
have to deal with when I’m thinking about the skin color that should be
about the skin color that should be
about the skin color that should be appropriate for a specific prehistoric
appropriate for a specific prehistoric
appropriate for a specific prehistoric hominid I look to the populations that
hominid I look to the populations that
hominid I look to the populations that are living there today in this case I’m
are living there today in this case I’m
are living there today in this case I’m dealing with a form that lived in South
dealing with a form that lived in South
dealing with a form that lived in South Africa so that Sam people were a good
Africa so that Sam people were a good
Africa so that Sam people were a good model for me to base the idea of skin
model for me to base the idea of skin
model for me to base the idea of skin color on the actual pattern of the hair
color on the actual pattern of the hair
color on the actual pattern of the hair we simply don’t have that kind of
we simply don’t have that kind of
we simply don’t have that kind of information in the fossil record so I’m
information in the fossil record so I’m
information in the fossil record so I’m making a guess there and I’m using
making a guess there and I’m using
making a guess there and I’m using commonalities in the hair pattern and
commonalities in the hair pattern and
commonalities in the hair pattern and faces that you see in great apes and
faces that you see in great apes and
faces that you see in great apes and humans it’s a wonderful thing to be in
humans it’s a wonderful thing to be in
humans it’s a wonderful thing to be in the position of being the guy who
the position of being the guy who
the position of being the guy who figures out what some ancient species
figures out what some ancient species
figures out what some ancient species that’s never been found before it looked
that’s never been found before it looked
that’s never been found before it looked like so the final form of a
like so the final form of a
like so the final form of a reconstruction of a face is often a
reconstruction of a face is often a
reconstruction of a face is often a surprise to me it’s the cumulative
surprise to me it’s the cumulative
surprise to me it’s the cumulative result of all these individual
result of all these individual
result of all these individual anatomical decisions but it has this big
anatomical decisions but it has this big
anatomical decisions but it has this big Teta moment at the end of the
Teta moment at the end of the
Teta moment at the end of the reconstruction which is almost like a
reconstruction which is almost like a
reconstruction which is almost like a the end of a mystery story where an
the end of a mystery story where an
the end of a mystery story where an identity is revealed and that’s an
identity is revealed and that’s an
identity is revealed and that’s an exciting moment for me to have that
exciting moment for me to have that
exciting moment for me to have that often surprising moment of seeing the
often surprising moment of seeing the
often surprising moment of seeing the face as an entirety for the first time
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