While searching for traces of distant human ancestors, archaeologists have discovered the presence of an unknown hominin species in Northern Tanzania.
The first such five consecutive footprints were discovered in the 1970s at Laetoli, providing the first evidence of hominin walking upright.
But in the same place there were traces of another creature, which, according to experts, were left 3.6 million years ago, the magazine reports.
The traces were left by a two-legged creature, but did not belong to either a person or ancestors known to science.
The discovered prints were compared with those left by bears, chimpanzees and humans.
But scientists eventually came to the conclusion that they were left by hominins.
It turned out that bears had difficulty moving on their hind legs, and the monkeys’ feet were wider than those of humans.
The researchers suggest that the unknown hominin species being studied is even more primitive than the australopithecus A. afarensis.
The possible human ancestor had a rather awkward gait.
During movement, with each step, the feet crossed the midline of the body, that is, the legs were rearranged crosswise.
The discovery of scientists allows us to conclude that the hominin population at that time was much more diverse than modern science believes.
