Archaeologists have identified the most complete skeleton related to an ancient relative of human in a rock in South Africa, which dates back to two million years ago.
Scientists uncovered that the findings were the remains of a juvenile hominid skeleton, of the Australopithecus (southern ape) sediba species.
The remains are the "most complete early human ancestor skeleton ever discovered," according to University of Witwatersrand paleontologist and a lead professor in the finding Lee Berger.
Researchers found the skeleton while it was hidden in a one-meter (three-foot) wide rock, which had been uncovered from an archaeological site in Malapa cave located north of Johannesburg three years ago.
The technician, Justin Mukanka, discovered the remains in the excavated rock laid in a laboratory since 2008, when he noticed a tooth sticking out of the black stone.
Scanning of the findings revealed the significant parts and proved that they belong to an A. sediba skeleton, dubbed Karabo.
"We have discovered parts of a jaw and critical aspects of the body including what appear to be a complete femur (thigh bone), ribs, vertebrae and other important limb elements, some never before seen in such completeness in the human fossil record," said Berger.
"It appears that we now have some of the most critical and complete remains of the skeleton," he added.