Top new species of 2016

Homo naledi, discovered in South Africa, shares some features with modern humans (similar size and weight) and some features with earlier ancestors. For instance, its brain case is similar in size to that of Homo species that lived 2 million to 4 million years ago. This discovery is significant because once scientists are able to pin down the exact age of the remains, it'll give us a clearer picture of our evolutionary timeline.