The Laetoli footprints are uncovered

At Laetoli in Tanzania, a team led by Mary Leakey found in 1978 a trail of hominin footprints about 27 metres long, preserved in volcanic ash that had been wetted by rain 3.66 million years ago. Made by two or three individuals of Australopithecus afarensis walking side by side, the prints show a modern-looking striding gait with a raised arch and big toe in line with the others. They are direct evidence that our ancestors walked upright millions of years before the evolution of large brains. The site was protected and reburied in 1995.

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