Researchers dissected dental enamel from 23 Homo naledi teeth uncovered in South Africa’s Rising Star Cave. Protein analysis revealed every sample contained AMELX, the X‑chromosome marker, and none carried AMELY, the Y‑chromosome counterpart. The result, published by the Max Planck Institute, shows all recovered individuals are genetically female and this pattern challenges assumptions about the species' social structure for hominin life.

Lee Berger’s 2013 excavation yielded over 20 small‑bodied hominins aged 335,000‑236,000 years. The cave’s narrow passages have sparked debate: accidental deaths or intentional placement? The all‑female finding leans toward deliberate burial, suggesting Homo naledi possessed a gendered sense of death. Berger notes the odds of a 20‑skeleton female cohort by chance are 0.0000954 percent in a 335,000‑year context for the species' assessment.

Protein data also hint at ancestry: five teeth share a variant with Paranthropus robustus, while fifteen carry a unique Homo naledi signature. Researchers aim to sequence more proteins and, eventually, ancient DNA from better‑preserved specimens. If successful, these molecules could map Homo naledi’s place in the hominin tree and confirm whether burial was routine, reshaping our view of human behavior.