Footprints in Kenya Suggest Ancient Human Relatives Shared Space

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA—According to a Science News report, Kevin G. Hatala of Chatham University and his colleagues believe that the presence of footprints from two different hominin species in northern Kenya, on the eastern edge of Lake Turkana, suggests that two species of hominin may have had contact with each other some 1.5 million years ago. One set of prints belongs to Homo erectus, a possible ancestor of modern humans who lived between about two million and 117,000 years ago. The other prints have been identified as Paranthropus boisei, which had a small brain, large jaw, and lived between 2.3 million and 1.2 million years ago. The study suggests that the three H. erectus prints and 12 P. boisei prints were made within a few days of each other, before they were buried in lakeside sediments. “Whether Homo and Paranthropus individuals passed through the area hours to a day apart, or seconds to a minute apart, they would have been aware of each other’s existence on this shared landscape,” Hatala said. The study also determined that the H. erectus footprints are similar to modern human prints, indicating that the hominin walked in a similar manner. P. boisei, however, probably had feet with a flatter arch and bigger toes. “The trackway that we attribute to P. boisei reflects a fairly fast walking speed, and there is no evidence that they were off-balance or any less adept at walking on two legs than H. erectus,” Hatala concluded. To read about the oldest known hominin footprints, go to "Proof in the Prints."