# Dirks 2015: Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa > Paul HGM Dirks, Lee R Berger, Eric M Roberts et al., 2015. 8 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The original taphonomic case and the sediment unit… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D38WXNC3V58/geological-and-taphonomic-context-for-the-new-hominin Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) --- [Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Homo naledi and the Rising Star burial claims](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/homo-naledi-burials)Dirks 2015 **0** # Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa Paul HGM Dirks, Lee R Berger, Eric M Roberts et al., 2015. _eLife 4: e09561_. Sets out the cave, the sediment units and the taphonomy of the Dinaledi assemblage: almost no other large fauna, no carnivore or water transport, and no route by which the bones could have washed in. Concludes that bodies entered the chamber deliberately or by accident through a route like the present one, and raises deliberate body disposal as the favoured option. **Homo naledi and the Rising Star burial claims** Articledoi: **[10.7554/eLife.09561](https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09561)** Checked against the original0 ## What it's used for here The original taphonomic case and the sediment unit definitions every later paper uses. ## Cited by on this site 8 records [Individuals entered the subsystem alive, for refuge or exploration, and died there, singly or in groups.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/homo-naledi-burials/answers/ANS0D38X9M66GDZ/individuals-entered-the-subsystem-alive-for-refuge-or) Answer ANS [Living H. naledi carried or dragged their dead into the subsystem.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/homo-naledi-burials/answers/ANS0D38X8D43WJ1/living-h-naledi-carried-or-dragged-their-dead-into-the) Answer ANS [Through the present route, including the Chute.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/homo-naledi-burials/answers/ANS0D38XER804QY/through-the-present-route-including-the-chute) Answer ANS [No carnivore marks, no water-sorting and almost no other large fauna in the Dinaledi assemblage.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/homo-naledi-burials/evidence/EVD0D38X8MY5SN2/no-carnivore-marks-no-water-sorting-and-almost-no-other) Evidence EVD [The near-absence of other animals is hard to square with a natural trap open to the surface.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/homo-naledi-burials/evidence/EVD0D38XAV86H0R/the-near-absence-of-other-animals-is-hard-to-square-with-a) Evidence EVD [Steven Tucker and Rick Hunter find hominin bones in the Dinaledi Chamber](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/homo-naledi-burials/events/EVT0D38X4QY6X65/steven-tucker-and-rick-hunter-find-hominin-bones-in-the) EVT [Homo naledi and the Rising Star burial claims](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/homo-naledi-burials) The mystery article MYS [How did the remains of many Homo naledi individuals come to lie in the dark chambers of the Dinaledi Subsystem?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/homo-naledi-burials/questions/QST0D38X76261BP/how-did-the-remains-of-many-homo-naledi-individuals-come-to) Question QST ## Cite it ``` Dirks, P. H., Berger, L. R., Roberts, E. M., Kramers, J. D., Hawks, J., Randolph-Quinney, P. S., Elliott, M., & Musiba, C. M. (2015). Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa. eLife 4: e09561. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09561 ``` [Read it free at elifesciences.org](https://elifesciences.org/articles/09561) Key **SRC** 0D38WXNC3V58 Kind Journal article Rights CC-BY-4.0 Kept 27 Oct 2026 Checked Against the published article Added by [apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo) The record Bibliographic records are CC0. Take this one as CSL-JSON, BibTeX or RIS. [CSL-JSON](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D38WXNC3V58/geological-and-taphonomic-context-for-the-new-hominin/csl.json)