fossils

The global scientific community was not left out of former South African president Nelson Mandela’s 94^th birthday celebrations on 18 July – scientists have named a newly discovered ancient bird after him.
• South Africa unearths new human ancestor

South African scientists will share the country's latest fossil discovery with the world when the uncovering of these remains is transmitted live on the internet from a laboratory studio in Maropeng in the Cradle of Humankind.

A South African-led research team working on Australopithecus sediba, the 2-million-year-old human ancestor recently discovered in South Africa, have published new findings on what our early ancestors ate that are causing a stir in scientific circles.

One of South Africa's most famous hominins, Little Foot from the Cradle of Humankind world heritage site, has been incarnated in a play that has travelled around the UK - and is now headed for Grahamstown and Johannesburg.

Leading South African palaeo-anthropologist Phillip Tobias, who died at the age of 86, will be remembered for his love of people and humanity.
• Rocking in the Cradle

Local World Heritage site, The Cradle of Humankind, has been ranked by the Smithsonian as one of the top 12 evotourism destinations in the world, making it the only site in sub-Saharan Africa to have made the list.
• SA unearths new human ancestor

Stellenbosch University is the first such institution in Africa to invest in state-of-the-art technology to determine the age of rocks, symbolising a major advancement for geosciences in the country.
• Ground-breaking find by South African researcher

South African scientist Zubair Jinnah's discovery of 100-million-year-old fossils of a small mammal-like crocodile that lived during the time of the supercontinent Gondwana has been described in the prestigious journal Nature.
• SA unearths new human ancestor

The sacred Lake Fundudzi situated in the mountainous area of Tshiavha Village, north of South Africa, will soon be declared a national heritage site.

A cast of the world's most complete pre-human fossil, one of the most significant fossil finds ever made, can now be seen by visitors to the Maropeng visitor interpretation centre at South Africa's Cradle of Humankind world heritage site.