The country already has the best-preserved specimens shedding light on the emergence of humans from pre-human ancestors. Its Karoo region has produced the world’s best series of fossils documenting the evolution of mammals from their reptile-like ancestors.
Now we can add important insights into the evolution of the common ancestors of reptiles and mammals from fish. This means that South Africa has the most complete record through geological time of the origins of our own lineage from fish to humans.