Some researchers achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them...and some find it spelunking in the bowels of a cave in South Africa. The news exploded in September and it was out of this world (more accurately beneath it). Currently, more than 1,550 fossil elements have been recovered from the Rising Star cave and many more are expected to be unearthed. Rising Star has yielded the largest sample for any hominin species in a single African site to date. Not only is the find huge, the hominin fossils were unique enough to be classified as a new species: Homo naledi (“naledi” means “star” in the local Sesotho language). Given the growing surfeit of fossils, this find may be the best-known/best represented anatomically fossil member of our lineage. To discuss our new family member with us and Rising Star is a member of the research team and New York University professor Dr. Scott Williams. Turn on your head lamps and belay on down as we learn about Rising Star.