The fossil record of human ancestors in Africa presents a significant proportion of our evidence for human evolution. Discovered primarily around the Great Lakes of East Africa, the Riverine deposits of the Middle Awash and the deep caves of southern Africa, understanding how and where these important fossils are found is critical to using them in interpreting when and how important events happened in human evolution.

In this lecture, Lee Berger examines how original hominid fossils are preserved, and explores the context of discoveries, discussing the challenges and hard facts of how and where the fossils of ancient human relatives are found on the continent of Africa.