There was a time when our ancestry stretched back in a neat straight line, with each relative's knuckles hanging just a tad higher above the ground than his forefather's. But now our family tree has become like a tangled baobab. Hominin species are being added and we are not too sure where they fit in.Scientists now believe that there was an evolutionary arms race in Africa, with all sorts of hominids appearing on the scene. Some of them simply died off, others moved up the tree.It was 90 years ago that Wits University anthropologist Raymond Dart revealed to the world the Taung Child. He proposed that this was proof that man originated in Africa, not Europe. Eurocentric academics didn't like that but eventually had to accept it.The Taung Child put us on the map and two other South African species, Australopithecus sediba and now Homo naledi, are making sure we stay there.Over the past nine years they have placed the country at the forefront of evolutionary investigation.Yesterday's announcement is cause for celebration.Interest in the find will extend beyond the scientific community.Tourists will, over the next month, flock to Maropeng and the Cradle of Humankind to see the new fossils."It will inspire poets and writers to revisit Africa's rich oral traditions, and to imagine ways to retell the story of our common ancestry," said Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.The discovery will not only enhance our understanding of the past but give insight into the future. It allows us to take a peek at our ancestry, thanks to unique geological formations that favour preservation.Egypt is where you go to see the pyramids - South Africa will be where you go to untangle the family tree...