Sending unique remains of prehistoric people into space has quarreled scientists

In what was supposed to be a grand gesture that would raise the profile of South African science, space company Virgin Galactic last month approved sending fossil bones from the nation’s Cradle of Humankind into space. The result, as The Observer writes, was completely different. Since then, a wave of global condemnation has swept over the research team, led by paleoanthropologist Lee Berger, for allowing ancient bones to be used in this way.

Some scientists initially expressed doubts about sending prehistoric fossils into space. However, doubts have since turned into a wave of harsh criticism, with leading experts and academic institutions condemning the incident as “heartless,” “unethical,” “extremely poorly thought out,” “a publicity stunt,” “reckless,” and “completely irresponsible.”

Pressure is now mounting to strengthen national and international regulations to prevent ancient bones and artifacts from humanity’s predecessors from being reused in this manner. The use of fossils for advertising purposes should never be repeated, researchers say.

“At least six national and international organizations have since criticized the space venture and we hope nothing like this ever happens again,” says Professor Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London.

This view was supported by Professor Mark Collard, Canada Research Chair in Human Evolutionary Studies. “The remains of the ancient human species are a very limited resource,” he told The Observer last week. “There are very few of them, and the only justification for putting them at risk should be scientific.” The same cannot in any way be said about this incident.”

The specimens, the first ancient hominin remains to leave Earth, consisted of a 2-million-year-old Australopithecus sedibus clavicle and a 250,000-year-old thumb bone from Homo naledi.

They were placed aboard the craft, which reached an altitude of 88 km above the Earth’s surface on September 8, by passenger Tim Nash, a South African billionaire. “I am honored to represent South Africa and all of humanity as I carry these precious images of our collective ancestors,” Nash said.

The fossils belong to species that were first discovered by teams led by Lee Berger in an area near Johannesburg now known as the Cradle of Humankind. Australopithecus sediba was discovered there in 2008, and Homo naledi in 2013.

However, South Africa’s scientific rules, like those in other countries, dictate that fossils can only be transported for scientific purposes and must be securely packaged, The Observer writes. It turned out that the two bones were kept in a tube that Nash kept in his pocket while floating around the cabin of the Virgin Galactic spaceship.

“They sent these precious samples into space, where they could have been destroyed quite easily,” Collard fumed. “It was extremely irresponsible.” This was done for the sake of entertainment, and Berger has a track record of doing this kind of thing. What’s truly alarming, however, is that the authorities allowed this to happen. They didn’t talk to other people on the ground and find out how they would react, and that’s the most disturbing part of this case. Individuals make mistakes, but you must have a system in place that prevents this from happening. This must be corrected as a matter of urgency.”

Lee Berger argued that the decision to send the fossils into space was made after careful consideration and in-depth discussions with governing and regulatory bodies. “All necessary permits have been obtained and great care has been taken to ensure the safety of the fossils,” he said.

Human origins expert Professor Andy Harris of La Trobe University in Melbourne disagreed with these arguments. “This development should concern anyone concerned about the blurring of the lines between legitimate science and the use of precious fossils for entertainment and advertising purposes,” he told The Observer.

Professor Harris is particularly concerned because one of the fossils, the clavicle of Australopithecus sediba, was the type specimen. The type specimen acts as a standard against which other fossil fragments can be compared, and its loss would be particularly serious, he said.

This view was supported by Stringer. “The sediba fossil was historically important because it was the first bone of the species ever discovered and designated as part of the type skeleton, a scientific landmark used to identify the species. However, it was in a tube in the pockets of billionaire Tim Nash during the flight. If something went seriously wrong, it would likely be lost to science forever.”

Chris Stringer added that Lee Berger deserves great credit for the central role he played in the discoveries of Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi. “But taking the risk of sending fossils of these species to the edge of space was foolhardy,” the professor told The Observer.

For his part, Lee Berger said he had heard “concerns expressed by the scientific community that highlight the need for renewed engagement around processes and permitting for the use of fossils and cultural heritage artifacts to engage the public in science.” However, he added that scientists are at their best when “we encourage each other to continue to grow and reflect, and I remain committed to ongoing dialogue.”

Berger is no stranger to controversy, notes The Observer. Earlier this year, he argued that finds in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa indicate that Homo naledi exhibited complex behavior nearly a quarter of a million years before modern humans began creating graves and artwork, even though that the brain of this species was little larger than that of a chimpanzee. However, subsequent reviewers later condemned these claims as “imprudent and incomplete”, while others rejected them as “largely based on speculation rather than evidence”.