Malapa

Malapa Fossil Site is a fossil-bearing cave close to the well-known South African hominid-bearing sites of Sterkfontein and Swartkrans. It is part of South Africa's Cradle of Humankind world heritage site, which contains 40 hominin species, making it one of the most important palaeoanthropological sites in the world. The discoveries at Malapa are particularly remarkable due to the extraordinary preservation quality of its fossils. The Malapa deposits have yielded over 1,500 fragments representing two new species from a previously unknown genus, Australopithecus sediba, providing invaluable insights into early human evolution.