“The two amateur cavers had to feel their way along the cave’s winding passages, crawl on their stomachs through an opening less than 10 inches high, ascend a jagged wall, cross a narrow ledge dubbed the ‘Dragon’s Back,’ and make a 400-foot descent, sideways, through a vertical crack before finally arriving at the prize.” It was worth the effort as the researchers discovered the fossil fragments of previously unknown species of human relative now called Homo naledi. What shocked researchers the most was that the very primitive creatures seemed to have buried their dead. According to one researcher: “To see it in a small-brained hominid is completely surprising. None of us expected it.” (That pretty much sums up how I feel about the success of the Trump campaign.)

+ NatGeo: This face changes the human story. But how?

+ As the ice melts, ancient viruses are being uncovered.