A replica of the Laetoli footprints.
This species has several unique distinctions, including an impressive presence of about 900,000 years before going extinct.
Theprintsare located at the Laetoli archeological site in what is now Tanzania.
A replica of the Laetoli footprints. (Photo: Momotarou2012 viaWikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 3.0)
The prints number about 70 stretching over 88 feet.
However, the stride was clearly created by much shorter legs.
Scientists have hypothesized that the prints were created byAustralopithecus afarensis, whose skeletons have been found nearby.
Laetoli Site S in 2016. (Photo: Fidelis T Masao and colleagues viaWikimedia Commons,CC BY 4.0)
There is still much to be learned about this species and its connection to our own evolution.
However, knowledge like this is endangered by climate change.
Erosion after heavy rains and storms is rising, threatening the exposed footprints.
The funding also covers buildings at Winde which are part of the bloody history of the slave trade.
While climate change will require broader solutions, preserving sites for future learning is a critical protective measure.
Laetoli Site S in 2016.
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