NEW YORK (AP) – Ancient footprints found in Tanzania have revealed a surprisingly tall member of the prehuman species best known for the fossil skeleton named “Lucy.”
The 13 footprints are impressions in rock that used to be volcanic ash. From their size, researchers calculated that they were made by a male about 5-foot-5, taller than any other known member of that species. For example, he was about two feet taller than Lucy.
The footprints are about 3.7 million years old. Their discovery is described in a report released Wednesday by the journal eLife.
Researchers found them near another set of footprints, discovered in 1978, which provided the earliest clear evidence of upright walking by our ancestors.