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The seven footprints, found amidst a clutter of hundreds of prehistoric animal prints, are estimated to be 115,000 years old. Many fossil and artifact windfalls have come from situations like this ...
Researchers say the discovery proves the theory that some ancient human ancestors were neighbors
Two species of ancient human relatives crossed paths 1.5 million years ago. Fossilized footprints in Kenya captured the moment, according to a new study.
[5] [6] [7] Another of the earliest human artistic representations are African rock art made from red ochre around 100,000 B.C. in South Africa. [8] The cave where the ochre mix was found, the Blombos Cave, also contained snail shell jewellery and engraved stones dating from 75,000 years ago. [9] [10] [11]
According to the study, the Trachilos footprints may represent an early hominin or primate species that may have evolved hominin-like feet independently, outside of Africa. [1] It also suggests the possibility of convergent evolution, wherein unrelated species adapt similar traits and characteristics to each other.
The discovery of these footprints settled the issue, proving that the Laetoli hominins were fully bipedal long before the evolution of the modern human brain, and were bipedal close to a million years before the earliest known stone tools were made. [11] The footprints were classified as possibly belonging to Australopithecus afarensis.
The footprints measured between 140 and 260 mm (5.5 and 10.2 in), thought to equate to heights between 0.9 and 1.7 m (2 ft 11 in and 5 ft 7 in). It is believed that the individuals who made them were from the species Homo antecessor , [ 7 ] known to have lived in the Atapuerca Mountains of Spain around 800,000 years ago.
Fossilized footprints of Homo erectus were found in Ileret, Kenya.Science reported that there were multiple trails of footprints found at the Ileret site: “two trails of two prints each, one of seven prints and a number of isolated prints.” [4] These footprints reveal that these early hominins most likely traveled in groups—evidence which researchers see as a sign of social behavior. [5]