Earliest Human Footprints Found in Kenya

Scientists from Bournemouth University have discovered fossil evidence of the oldest "modern" human footprints near Ileret in northern Kenya.

Estimated to be 1.5 million years old, these Homo erectus footprints are not the oldest found belonging to the human lineage. However, these Kenyan footprints are the oldest to display the shape and gait of modern humans, having a pronounced arch and short, aligned toes. Older footprints display relatively flat feet and a gap between the big toe and the others, a foot more designed for grasping instead of walking.

The footprints also reveal clues as to how Homo erectus walked, with a heavy landing on the heel, transferring weight to the outer edge of the foot and then pushing off with the toes. This method is very much like our modern gait and very different from older Australopithecus footprint records. The fossil record is distinctly lacking in feet and hands, as the smaller bones are easily eaten or destroyed by carnivores and scavengers.

These results were published in a recent edition of Science.

Source: BBC News