Reconsidering the Story of Our Earliest Ancestors

The transcript discusses the discovery and analysis of the Littlefoot fossil, a 3.67 million-year-old hominin found in South Africa. Initially thought to be a new species, Littlefoot's classification sparked debate among researchers. The fossil's dating suggests it predates the famous Lucy fossil, indicating a wider distribution of early hominins across Africa. Recent studies using micro CT scanning have provided new insights into Littlefoot's mobility, suggesting it was more arboreal than previously believed.

What evidence suggests that Littlefoot may represent a new species?

What controversy surrounds the dating of the Littlefoot fossil?

What did the high-resolution micro CT scanning reveal about Littlefoot?