Journal
EVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY
Volume 32, Issue 1, Pages 39-53Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/evan.21963
Keywords
footprints; ichnology; paleoanthropology; trace fossils; tracks
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Hominin footprints have traditionally not been considered important in paleoanthropological studies. However, in recent years, their discovery frequency has increased significantly, providing important new clues for studying human anatomy, locomotion, behaviors, and environments.
Hominin footprints have not traditionally played prominent roles in paleoanthropological studies, aside from the famous 3.66 Ma footprints discovered at Laetoli, Tanzania in the late 1970s. This contrasts with the importance of trace fossils (ichnology) in the broader field of paleontology. Lack of attention to hominin footprints can probably be explained by perceptions that these are exceptionally rare and curiosities rather than sources of data that yield insights on par with skeletal fossils or artifacts. In recent years, however, discoveries of hominin footprints have surged in frequency, shining important new light on anatomy, locomotion, behaviors, and environments from a wide variety of times and places. Here, we discuss why these data are often overlooked and consider whether they are as rare as previously assumed. We review new ways footprint data are being used to address questions about hominin paleobiology, and we outline key opportunities for future research in hominin ichnology.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available