When a Virgin Galactic industrial flight soared into area on 8 September 2023, there have been two Virgin Galactic pilots, an teacher and three passengers on board – in addition to two fossils of historical prehuman family from South Africa. Timothy Nash, a businessman, carried a clavicle belonging to Australopithecus sediba and the thumb bone of a Homo naledi specimen. The fossils’ temporary journey – the VSS Unity’s flight lasted simply an hour – was organised by palaeontologist Lee Berger, who led the group that found and described Homo naledi in 2015. Berger was granted an export allow in July by the South African Heritage Assets Company (SAHRA) to take the fossils from the nation to the US launch website for VSS Unity. SAHRA is a “nationwide administrative physique chargeable for the safety of South Africa’s cultural heritage”.
The occasion has drawn the ire of scores of human evolution researchers from South Africa and past. Some have labelled it “unethical” and a “publicity stunt”. Berger issued a quick assertion on X (previously Twitter) on 25 September addressing the state of affairs. And SAHRA, in an announcement quoted by Nature, mentioned it was “glad that the promotional profit derived was appropriately weighted towards the inherent threat of journey of this nature”.
The Dialog Africa requested Dipuo Winnie Kgotleng, director of the Palaeo-Analysis Institute on the College of Johannesburg, and Robyn Pickering, co-director of the Human Evolution Analysis Institute on the College of Cape City, why the area flight created such unhappiness.
Why are scientists so indignant concerning the fossils being despatched to area?
There are a selection of causes.
One is the menace to South African heritage. In line with the SAHRA allowing coverage, fossils of this nature are solely allowed to journey for scientific functions and needs to be securely packed to stop injury. The fossils travelled in area in a sealed tube – and had been then saved in a person’s pocket as he floated freely.
There isn’t any scientific motive for permitting these fossils to journey to area. No new information has been generated and no neighborhood, both native or worldwide, has been engaged on this science.
Additionally, doses of radiation which these specimens had been uncovered to throughout this journey may have doubtlessly completely altered the fossil microstructure, affecting any knowledge which may be required sooner or later.
A second concern is that the A. sediba clavicle is a sort specimen: it’s the authentic bodily instance of the species and, if such a specimen is misplaced or destroyed, it’s gone without end.
Lastly, this occasion demonstrated the unequal energy relations at play in accessing this invaluable heritage. Some native communities – just like the individuals of Taung, the place a 2.8 million yr outdated baby’s cranium nicknamed the Taung Youngster was found in 1924 – have requested entry to fossil specimens that originated from their areas. Within the case of the Taung Youngster, there have reportedly been discussions “over a very long time” to have the cranium returned by the college the place it’s saved.
So, is it solely rich, well-known wealthy white males who can have entry to fossils? Poor communities shouldn’t have entry to the identical privileges?
Professor Berger’s SAHRA software referred to as the fossils’ area flight a ‘as soon as in a lifetime alternative to deliver consciousness to science, exploration, human origins and South Africa and its position in understanding Humankind’s shared African ancestry’.
We utterly disagree. Which neighborhood has been engaged in science consciousness? Absolutely no South African or any African neighborhood has been engaged by this act?
Learn extra:
Science and race in South Africa: classes from ‘outdated bones in packing containers’
Some have argued that the area flight echoes colonial attitudes to human stays. How so?
That is an instance of what we name neo-colonialism. The science of human evolution has an extended, darkish previous of exploitation and extraction. The primary perpetrators of this previous had been privileged white males, so this newest occasion feels acquainted however is basically not OK in 2023.
Learn extra:
Archaeology is altering, slowly. But it surely’s nonetheless too tied up in colonial practices
Our subject is simply starting to grapple with its previous, and we’ve made some progress within the final decade. One thing like this places us proper again into the olden days.
So what occurs subsequent?
A number of skilled our bodies in numerous African areas have issued statements expressing their unhappiness concerning the therapy of the fossils.
Varied arms of the palaeoscience neighborhood, such because the Affiliation of Southern African Skilled Archaeologists, have instantly requested SAHRA and the Cradle of Humankind Administration Authority (which is chargeable for preserving the world heritage website the place the fossils had been discovered) and the federal government to deal with us and the South African public extra broadly.
We’re additionally pushing for these organisations to mirror on this concern and to debate modifications to their allowing coverage. We’re assured that the outrage we’ve demonstrated will guard towards one thing like this occurring once more sooner or later.
September is Heritage Month in South Africa, a time once we are requested to return collectively as a rustic, to have fun, find out about and discover our heritage as a solution to construct unity in a various society. Our frequent heritage, represented by the fossils, is a superb device for bringing us collectively as a rustic. Treating the identical fossils on this means goes towards this noble intention.
This text was up to date on 27 September so as to add Professor Lee Berger’s assertion.
