Homo naledi is an early human relative recently discovered deep within Rising Star cave in South Africa. This find, consisting of over 1500 fossil fragments, is arguably one of the most significant fossil discoveries of the last halfcentury. In this lecture, Leakey Foundation grantee William HarcourtSmith discusses what makes Homo naledi so unique, where it may fit within the human lineage, and what consequences this groundbreaking discovery may have for our current understanding of human evolution.