Existing comment:
Laetoli Footprints:
Australopithecus afarensis
The Tracks of Early Hominids:
About 3.7 million years ago, a volcano spread ash over the ground near what is now Tanzania in Africa. Then, rain fell. Before the wet ash hardened, three hominids like Lucy crossed the ash, leaving their footprints behind. The long track of footprints, discovered in 1978, was attributed to Australopithecus afarensis .
A Key Step in Human Evolution:
From fossil bones, scientists knew that hominids had been walking upright by 4.4 million years ago. The discovery of the Laetoli footprints showed scientists how hominids walked millions of years ago. The footprints show a strong heel strike followed by a transfer of weight forward and over the ball of the foot, ending with the toes, a step very much like that of a modern human. |