Footprints In The Mud Of Time Indicate Early Humans Treaded European Shores

Finally, Europe has found a place on the map that pinpoints the areas where early humans existed much before the current human species or Homo sapiens came into being. According to a recent report published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, British scientists, on a routine geological survey, have discovered the footprints of ancient humans called hominins on the muddy bank of an estuary at Happisburgh in Norfolk. These footmarks are about 800,000 years old and look like they belonged to a group of adults and children – probably that of a family.

However, these are not the oldest footmarks left by our ancient ancestors. You will find such footprints at Laetoli in Tanzania dating back to 3.5 million years while those found at Ileret and Koobi Fora in Kenya are about 1.5 million years old. But the hominin footprints found in the UK are the oldest outside Africa, clearly indicating that our ancestors evolved in continental Europe as well. After all, England was not much like an island in those days and was connected to the continental Europe.

Scientists analysed the shallow prints using multi-image photogrammetry, a technique that combines digital photographs to create a permanent record. The final output shows that the hollows are distinctly elongated and tally with the foot sizes of hominins from different age-groups. In many cases, one can distinctly identify the heel, the arch and even the toes.

In case you are curious, let us tell you these foot sizes match the modern shoe sizes of 7 or 8 in UK/India. The US equivalent will be size 8 or 9 while the European equivalent will be 41 or 42. The biggest footprints could be that of a male while the smaller ones, varying in size, could be left by women and children.

As for height, the hominins seem to resemble the Homo sapiens and their heights varied between 2'11" and 5'6" (depending on age). Another interesting point is that each walked on their two feet, which means these ancient people were fully bipedal.

“This is an extraordinarily rare discovery,” said Nick Ashton of the British Museum, who led the research team, which also involved the National History Museum and Queen Mary University London. “At first we weren’t sure what we were seeing,” Dr Ashton told the media. “But as we removed any remaining beach sand and sponged off the seawater, it was clear that the hollows resembled prints and that we needed to record the surface as quickly as possible before the sea eroded it away,” he said.

But what is the real identity of the Happisburgh hominins whose footmarks indicated that they were travelling south, treading the mud-flats along the river edge? Going by several points of similarity regarding body stature and the period in history when they existed, some experts believe that they might have belonged to the species called Homo antecessor or Pioneer Man, whose fossil remains have been found at Atapuerca in Spain.

Homo antecessor might have become extinct from Europe some 600,000 years ago and next came Homo heidelbergensis, followed by the Neanderthals and finally, the modern humans or Homo sapiens, who came into existence some 40,000 years ago.

Image: Wikipedia