Human Ancestor "Little Foot" Goes Public

Scientists in South Africa are showing off a human ancestor called Little Foot.  The near-complete skeleton named for its small foot bones is the oldest hominid skeleton ever found in South Africa's so-called Cradle of Humankind.  It's estimated to be more than 3.6 million years old.  Little Foot was found in a calcified, ancient cave in 1997.  Hominid fossils from the cave system where Little Foot was found were first discovered in the 1930s.  

The more recent discovery of Little Foot reinforces the belief that South Africa was a major cradle of human evolution, with diverse hominid ancestors.

Photo: AOL


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