Planet Earth - Fossil footprints

Footprints of many kinds of creatures have survived as fossils in rocks.

This can be because they were quickly covered by volcanic ash, or layers of fine clay, preserving the details.

These footprints were most likely made by Australopithecus afarensis, an early human whose fossils were found in the same sediment layer.


They were found at Laetoli in Tanzania.


Looking at much older rocks, footprints of dinosaurs can be used to find out all sorts of things about their lives.


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