Question

6 points Use the word bank below to complete the following sentence(s). Please note that not all terms in the word bank will be used. The Laetoli footprints most likely represent Answer These footprints show Answer and Answer features that offer supporting evidence for bipedalism in this species. Homo habilis Australopithecus afarensis Australopithecus africanus Ha convergent big toe long toes la divergent big toe lumbar lordosis il valgus knee i longitudinal arch.

Answer 1

Answer) The Laetoli footprints most likely represent Australopithecus afarensis . These footprints show a convergent big toe and valgus knee features that offer supporting evidence for bipedalism in this species.

The Laetoli footprints gave a strong evidence for bipedalism in Pliocene hominids. These footprints were made by Australopithecus afarensis,the fossils of the same was obtained from this sediment soils and is confirmed.As a result it showed that these hominids were more related to modern humans than ape-like because of this bipedalism. If it is ape like it would have divergent toe, which help the ape to climb trees, but this footprint shows convergent big toes like human. This footprints also show other human like properties like 'heel strike'. That the heel will touch the ground and after the toe follows.This is the specialty of humans. There are also evidences of presence of valgus knee,reduced and non-opposable big toe, higher arch on the foot, foramen magnum etc to support bipedalism.

The scientists measured the length of toe and the shape of the feet and made sure that it is the footprints of a human. And also they made an idea about the hominion living at that time and made sure that, it is the footprint of Australopithecus afarensis. These footprints were formed as a result of volcanic eruption, rainstorm and ashfall.These are about 3.66 million years old and situated in Northern Tanzania. The technique used to determine the age of this footprints was potassium-argon dating.