The Laetoli Footprints are a famous archaeological site in Tanzania that contains the world’s oldest known footprints of early human ancestors:
Location: The Laetoli Footprints are in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, on the southern edge of the Serengeti Plains, and far north of Lake Eyasi.
Discovery: Mary Leakey and her team discovered the footprints in 1974.
Age: The footprints are at least 3.6 million years old.
Features: The footprints are from three individuals walking in the same direction, and the trail is almost 27 meters long. The footprints are semi triangular in shape, with a wide sole that narrows toward the heel.
Formation: The footprints were formed and preserved when a volcano erupted, followed by a rainstorm and another ash fall.
Significance: The footprints are evidence of upright bipedal walking, a major milestone in human evolution.
Other discoveries: In addition to the footprints, Leakey and her team also discovered a well-preserved specimen of archaic Homo sapiens and a holotype of Australopithecus afarensis, also known as “Lucy”.
Access: The site is open to researchers, and every year, researchers from local and foreign universities visit the site.
