Ancient human footprints spur rethink
Ancient footprints uncovered in Saudi Arabia, along with evidence found indicating a lush environment, have flipped scientists’ previous thinking of how humans migrated from Africa into Eurasia.
Previously, scientists believed humans had made their way across oceans. Now, it is believed they may have also followed inland paths across Northern Arabia.
Along with the human footprints, an international team of archeologists uncovered footprints from elephants, camels and other bovine animals, all dating back 120,000 years, in the modern- day Nefud Desert, the Saudi Gazette reported.
The team of researchers from Saudi Arabia, Germany, Australia and the U.K. found seven archeological layers at the excavation site, which showed there had been significant changes to the environment, ranging from extremely arid to wet.
When the humans who made the footprints roamed the land, scientists now believe, there had been a lake present in the area that helped sustain life in areas that are presently inhospitable.
“The presence of large animals such as elephants and hippos, together with open grasslands and large water resources, may have made northern Arabia a particularly attractive place to humans moving between Africa and Eurasia,” archeologist Michael Petraglia told the Daily Mail.
Scientists discovered the footprints in 2017, when the sediment sitting atop the footprints eroded and left them exposed.
Estimating the height, gait and mass of the individuals who created the footprints, scientists are confident that Homo sapiens left the marks, rather than other similar species such as Neanderthals. They also concluded that four of the prints came from a group of two or three early humans who were travelling together.
No tools were discovered near the ancient lake, suggesting to researchers that humans didn’t live near the lake but used it to collect water.
The archeologists uncovered 233 fossils and 369 animal tracks, meaning the site could have been a popular watering hole.
Scientists previously thought humans migrated out of Africa and into the Levant along coastal routes, but with recent findings, they theorize early humans followed lakes and rivers during a period known as the “last interglacial.”
“Environmental changes during the last interglacial would have allowed humans and animals to disperse across otherwise desert regions, which normally act as major barriers during the less humid periods, such as today,” archeologist Ian Candy said.
“These findings suggest human movements beyond Africa during the last interglacial extended into Northern Arabia, highlighting the importance of this region for the study of human prehistory.”