Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Laetoli: The Oldest Known Hominin Footprints in Volcanic Ash. / Зайцев, Анатолий Николаевич; Chakhmouradian, Anton R.; Musiba, Charles.
In: Elements, Vol. 19, No. 2, 01.04.2023, p. 104-110.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Laetoli: The Oldest Known Hominin Footprints in Volcanic Ash
AU - Зайцев, Анатолий Николаевич
AU - Chakhmouradian, Anton R.
AU - Musiba, Charles
PY - 2023/4/1
Y1 - 2023/4/1
N2 - Hominin footprints are rare in eastern Africa and known from the Laetoli (Tanzania), Ileret (Kenya), and Melka Kunture (Ethiopia) areas. The prints were made by Australopithecus afarensis, Homo erectus, and Homo heidelbergensis. Their study is an important source of information regarding hominin body size, anatomy, positional behavior, and locomotion biomechanics. The most-known and best-studied examples are the 3.66-Ma Australopithecus afarensis footprint trackways at Laetoli, which represent the oldest known record of hominin bipedalism in Africa. The footprints occur in a volcanic tuff sequence, which was originally deposited as melilite nephelinite ash. Recent excavations show that this valuable paleoanthropological site is slowly disappearing as a result of surface diagenetic processes. Preservation of the footprints is essential and urgently needed.
AB - Hominin footprints are rare in eastern Africa and known from the Laetoli (Tanzania), Ileret (Kenya), and Melka Kunture (Ethiopia) areas. The prints were made by Australopithecus afarensis, Homo erectus, and Homo heidelbergensis. Their study is an important source of information regarding hominin body size, anatomy, positional behavior, and locomotion biomechanics. The most-known and best-studied examples are the 3.66-Ma Australopithecus afarensis footprint trackways at Laetoli, which represent the oldest known record of hominin bipedalism in Africa. The footprints occur in a volcanic tuff sequence, which was originally deposited as melilite nephelinite ash. Recent excavations show that this valuable paleoanthropological site is slowly disappearing as a result of surface diagenetic processes. Preservation of the footprints is essential and urgently needed.
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/7a0f0510-8ee2-32d0-81ce-7419b26055d7/
U2 - 10.2138/gselements.19.2.104
DO - 10.2138/gselements.19.2.104
M3 - Article
VL - 19
SP - 104
EP - 110
JO - Elements
JF - Elements
SN - 1811-5209
IS - 2
ER -
ID: 108369262