You can 3D print your own Homo naledi replica

Have a 3D printer and a taste for unusual home decor? Thanks to modern technology and some industrious researchers, you can now print your own replica of the newly discovered and subsequently published Homo naledi species — at least replicas of the portions that were found. Homo naledi isn't the only hominid replica you can print at home, however, thanks to freely available printing plans.

Homo naledi is a recently discovered member of the human family tree; the specimens were discovered in a cave in South Africa. As with artifacts, other hominids, historical novelties and items of interest, you can now use your at-home 3D printer to print out your own replicas.

Efforts to create and publish 3D models of historical artifacts are relatively new, but have been pursued in earnest, and thanks to those efforts we're able to print out far more than just Homo naledi. AfricanFossils.org alone is home to numerous plans for various hominid fossils.

If fossilized hominin replicas aren't to your taste, you can also check out the British Museum's own 3D models, which include things like Amenemhat III's granite bust, a bust of Zeus, a Horus falcon statue, scarab beetle, and several more.

Check out the Homo naledi scans here.

SOURCE: Gizmodo