FOOTPRINTS SHOW HOW OUR ANCESTORS WALKED

The ancestor who made the 3.7 million-year-old prints walked in a "less ape-ish way" than some humans do today.

By Jennifer Viegas
Tue Jul 19, 2011 07:00 PM ET
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THE GIST

• The earliest known human ancestor footprints show that individuals walked like we do 3.7 million years ago.
• A fully upright, two-footed gait likely evolved inAustralopithecus afarensis, a tree-dwelling ancestor of living great apes and humans.
• Erect, bipedal walking offered many benefits, especially at a time when forest canopies started to break up.

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An illustration of Australopithecus afarensiswalking and leaving footprints. Click to enlarge this image.
Smithsonian/Karen Carr Studio

The oldest known human ancestor footprints, dated to 3.7 million years ago, reveal that some of the earliest members of our family tree walked fully upright with feet similar to ours, according to new research.

The findings, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, push back the date for upright walking in our ancestry by nearly 2 million years. That's because previous studies had concluded this trademark gait emerged in the genus Homo about 1.9 million years ago.

The 3.7 million-year-old footprint maker, likely a species called Australopithecus afarensis (of the "Lucy" fossil fame), walked in an even less ape-ish way than some humans do today.

Lead author Robin Crompton told Discovery News that "some healthy humans produce more 'ape like' footprints."

http://news.discovery.com/human/ancient-footprint-ancestor-walked-upright-1107019.html

Graycap23 said:

NDRU said:

Graycap23 said:

I'd do her

she got me erectus!

OnlyNDaUsa said:

NDRU said:

Graycap23 said: I'd do her

she got me erectus!

OnlyNDaUsa said:

NDRU said:

Graycap23 said: I'd do her

she got me erectus!

y'all do realize that's a male with

female tendencies, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight???

KingBAD said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

she got me erectus!

y'all do realize that's a male with

female tendencies, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight???

so maybe i am a homo erectus! why you hateing on my caveman love!

The 3.7 million-year-old footprint maker, likely a species called Australopithecus afarensis (of the "Lucy" fossil fame), walked in an even less ape-ish way than some humans do today.

I'm not sure if this was intended as a serious scientific commentary, but I found it funny in any case.

OnlyNDaUsa said:

KingBAD said:

y'all do realize that's a male with

female tendencies, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight???

so maybe i am a homo erectus! why you hateing on my caveman love!

iiiii'lll say, 'scuuuuuuuuuuuuse me mr. man

i would not knowinly stand in the way of love.

i will always be the first to let one know when it ain't BUTTER...

PAKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!

OnlyNDaUsa said:

KingBAD said:

y'all do realize that's a male with

female tendencies, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight???

so maybe i am a homo erectus! why you hateing on my caveman love!

How about it, hot stuff