Paleontologist Lee Berger brings cave discoveries to Calgary
National Geographic Explorer discusses controversial Homo naledi findings at Jack Singer Concert Hall May 31–June 1, challenging human evolution understanding.
Lee Berger, the paleontologist who discovered Homo naledi in South Africa's Rising Star Caves, is bringing his groundbreaking and controversial research to Calgary this weekend. His multimedia presentation, Lee Berger: Cave of Bones, runs at the Werklund Centre's Jack Singer Concert Hall on May 31 at 2 p.m. and June 1 at 7 p.m.
Berger's work has upended long-held assumptions about human evolution. His team found evidence suggesting that Homo naledi—a species with a brain one-third the size of modern humans—deliberately buried their dead in ritualistic patterns, a behaviour previously thought exclusive to humans. This discovery challenges the idea that complex cultural practices required a human-sized brain.
The findings have sparked controversy within the scientific community. Some peers questioned Berger's conclusions and his unconventional publishing methods, which bypassed traditional peer review in favour of books, documentaries, and direct public communication. Berger acknowledges the friction but notes that more scientists support his conclusions than challenge them, and that resistance is natural when science makes major leaps rather than incremental steps.
Berger's journey to these discoveries came at physical cost. To access the narrowest chambers of the cave system—some only 17 to 18 centimetres wide—he lost 50 pounds and still remained the largest person ever to venture that deep. He's described the experience as psychologically and physically grueling, something he won't repeat.
The Calgary presentation offers residents a rare chance to hear directly from a researcher reshaping how we understand human origins and what it means to be human.