Ancient footprints reveal diverse ways early humans walked millions of years ago
In short: Researchers who excavated a long-overlooked archaeological site in Tanzania found evidence that our ancestors may have moved with different styles of bipedalism. By using 3D scanning to analyze footprints dating back 3.66 million years, the team discovered that at least two distinct types of hominins lived in the same area, each possessing unique foot shapes and walking gaits.
This finding challenges the idea of a single, uniform transition to upright walking. By comparing the footprints to those of modern humans, chimpanzees, and bears, the study suggests that early hominin movement was more varied than previously thought.
The researchers used 3D photogrammetry and laser scanning to create a digital archive of the site A trackway. However, because this is an archaeological analysis of fossilized tracks, it provides a snapshot of behavior rather than a direct observation of living subjects.
Why it matters: Early human evolution was likely a diverse process involving different species with unique ways of walking side-by-side.
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Sources
- Source: Research: McNutt et al. (2021). Footprint evidence of early hominin locomotor diversity at Laetoli, Tanzania. Nature. · cc-by
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