In 2008, a nine-year-old spotted a fossil in South Africa: Scientists uncovered a previously unknown branch of human evolution

Few nine-year-old children ever encounter scientific discoveries; however, Matthew Berger came across one of his own. It happened in August 2008 when he discovered a clavicle at Malapa, a fossil-rich site in South Africa. The bone was later recognized as belonging to a previously undescribed hominin. Matthew's father, Lee Berger, headed the team of scientists that published the study in Science in 2010 titled Australopithecus sediba: A New Species of Homo-like Australopith from South Africa. The clavicle led researchers to a well-preserved juvenile skeleton, designated Malapa Hominin 1 (MH1), while a second partial skeleton, Malapa Hominin 2 (MH2), was also recovered from the site.The researchers described two partial skeletons, along with associated skull and tooth remains. The specimens were initially dated to between 1.95 million and 1.78 million years old. The species was named Australopithecus sediba.