#HomoNaledi: 13 tweets that show Twitter cares more about laughs than science

By now you’re probably aware of the news that South African scientists have discovered a distant human relative.

Called Homo Naledi, the species appears to shed new light on the origins and diversity of our genus. Consisting of more than 1 550 numbered fossil elements, the discovery is the single largest fossil hominin find yet made on the continent of Africa.

One of the the most interesting things about Homo Naledi is that the species appears to have intentionally deposited bodies of its dead in a remote cave chamber, a behaviour previously thought limited to humans.

Read more: Meet Homo Naledi: the ancestor you never knew you had

“With almost every bone in the body represented multiple times, Homo Naledi is already practically the best-known fossil member of our lineage,” said Lee Berger, research professor in the Evolutionary Studies Institute at Wits University and a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, who led the two expeditions that discovered and recovered the fossils.

And while most of the world was celebrating the awesome scientific achievement, there were a fair few people on Twitter who used the occasion as a chance to show off their comedy chops.

Not only does the hominin now have its own parody Twitter account (with 168 followers), it inspired a number of one-liners from the digital mob.

Here’s a sample of some of the less awful ones:

Nice to meet you #HomoNaledi – when are you going to start a Twitter account?

— Sarah Britten (@Anatinus) September 10, 2015

Dear @PRofTimNoakes. Do you think #HomoNaledi would be with us today if they had done banting?

— Matt Black (@MattBlackZA) September 10, 2015

#HomoNaledi is done with you and your lies pic.twitter.com/UT1qWU80hh

— Sibongile Mafu (@sboshmafu) September 10, 2015

#HomoNaledi looks mad as hell

— Square (@SquaredLife) September 10, 2015

#HomoNaledi for president.

— 武士 (@AbyssWalkerX8) September 10, 2015

#HomoNaledi looks very pissed that she/he was discovered

— Thulisa (@_FemaleAKA) September 10, 2015

LOL "@walliesta: Just glad to see visuals of one of the ancestors we've been slaughtering live stock for #HomoNaledi pic.twitter.com/VBXSpt8rk2"

— Gavin Mokhosi (@GavinMokhosi) September 10, 2015

the "why you dig me up" face. #HomoNaledi pic.twitter.com/JdomqvHI1s

— jae (@jaymeisterrr) September 10, 2015

Spare a thought for the creationists. This is not a good day for them. #HomoNaledi #FossilsAreATestOfFaith

— Craig Wilson (@craigwilson) September 10, 2015

Couple of fossils in our municipality too. Here but haven't moved for years, exhume them please #HomoNaledi

— 12SeptDonkinReserve (@CllrGreyling) September 10, 2015

#HomoNaledi wins at #ThrowbackThursday

— Kurt Mitchell (@kurtmitchell) September 10, 2015

WHEN YOU TWEET SOMETHING KAK FUNNY AND NOBODY RETWEETS YOU. pic.twitter.com/MOxgD3v8TF

— KEENAN (@KEENANMULVANEY) September 10, 2015

Great, even #HomoNaledi gives me beard envy 😔 pic.twitter.com/QUxJbLjirh

— Craig Wilson (@craigwilson) September 10, 2015