A groundbreaking discovery in Kenya’s Koobi Fora site has shed new light on human evolution. Researchers have found 1.5 million-year-old footprints that prove two distinct pre-human species, Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei, coexisted at the same time.
The footprints, dated to around 1.5 million years ago, were discovered in a wet mud bed near Lake Turkana and depict a bipedal hominin with significantly different feet. The researchers used 3D imaging techniques to analyze the shape and movement of the trackmakers’ feet, finding that two isolated footprints had high arches and heel-to-toe footfall similar to modern humans.
In contrast, a dozen footprints revealed a flatter, more primitive foot pattern, suggesting that the trackmaker was likely Paranthropus boisei. This ancient species is known for its large jaws and divergent big toe, which is distinct from the human-like body shape of Homo erectus.
The discovery raises new questions about the behavior of our ancestors, with researchers speculating that the two species may have interacted in a way similar to chimpanzees and gorillas. The footprints were found within a few feet of each other, indicating a high degree of interaction between the species.
While the exact details of their interactions remain unclear, the discovery provides valuable insights into human evolution and challenges current understanding of our ancestors’ behavior.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/1-5-million-year-old-footprints-reveal-our-homo-erectus-ancestors-lived-with-a-2nd-proto-human-species