Adventures and discoveries in cave exploration (incl discovery of Homo naledi)
Details
Steven will tell you how he started exploring caves, the initial disappointments therein and later successes which lead to discovering South Africa's deepest dry cave, the largest underground lake in South Africa and the largest hominin fossil discovery in Africa.
Steven Tucker is a Chartered Accountant who started exploring caves in 2010 with the Speleological Exploration Club. In 2013 he and fellow caver, Rick Hunter, entered a previously unknown chamber in the Rising Star Cave System and discovered the remains of a new species of human ancestor, Homo naledi.
Shortly after the Rising Star expedition, Steven joined the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand as a full-time caver and explorer, leading a team in surface and sub-surface explorations around the Cradle of Humankind.
Steven has also been involved in the discovery and exploration of Armageddon Cave, South Africa's deepest cave, Schwarzkopf Cave and which contains the largest underground lake in South Africa. Steven is a member of the Speleological Exploration Club's Cave Rescue Team as well as the Gauteng Mountain Search & Rescue Team.
Fee at the door:
- R65 for adults
- R35 for students
- R50 for pensioners and Wits staff.
The event will be in the beautiful Tapestry Room at the Wits Origins Centre Museum. Juice and white wine will be available.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_naledi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rising_Star_Cave