Sedimentary rock often house fossils from various creatures and otherwise, but researchers have recently made a notable discovery of human concern – literally.

Discovered in sedimentary rock near Ileret, Kenya, a discovery of footprints dating back to 1.51 to 1.53 million years ago has been made. These footprints indicate the earliest evidence of upright walking, assumed, then, to be that of a human.

Researchers have marked this uncovering as one of the most important regarding the evolution of walking.

The footprints bear an uncanny resemblance to our own – the largest toe parallel to the other toes. Scientists involved in the discovered explained this anatomical construction indicates an upright stride, akin to a human. They assume it was made by an early hominid Homo ergaster or ercetus.

Previously, the oldest footprints found was in 1978, when the  3.7 million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis prints were found in Laetoli, Tanzania.

These current findings were published in the February 27 issue of the journal Science.

Within the rocks, there were more than seven prints, including a smaller version that could have been from a child. Researchers could estimate the height – about 5′9”, due to analysis of the position and landing. The lead author of the study, Matthew Bennett of Bournemouth University, UK, explained that between the heel-landing and weight transfer, it is “very diagnostic of the modern style of walking.” The movement from the ball of the foot to lift off of the toes is unlike the previous prints found in Tanzania.

This discovery is a critical finding for exploring evolution.

Source: Sciencedaily.com

Image courtesy of: Matthew Bennett/Bournemouth University/Reuters

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