Skip to main content
HHMI BioInteractive
  • Español
  • Site Search
  • Log In/Create Account
  • BioInteractive Resources
  • Planning Tools
  • Professional Development
  • About Us

New Laetoli Footprints and Hominin Body Size

Topic

  • Evolution
  • Paleobiology
  • Human Evolution
  • Math & Computational Skills
  • Graph Interpretation

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Data Points

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Saved By
3 Users
Share This

Description

This activity guides the analysis of a published scientific figure from a study that used footprints formed millions of years ago to estimate the heights of early human ancestors.

Laetoli is a paleontological site famous for its preserved hominin footprints, which are nearly four million years old. Hominins are a taxonomic group that includes humans and their extinct ancestors. In the 1970s, scientists at Laetoli discovered the footprints of three hominin individuals (G1, G2, G3). In 2015, the footprints of two more individuals (S1, S2) were found. The figure shows the statures (heights) of these and other hominins, as estimated from their footprints or fossils, and the map shows the locations where each footprint or fossil was found.

The “Educator Materials” document includes a captioned figure, background information, graph interpretation, and discussion questions. The “Student Handout” includes a captioned figure and background information.

Student Learning Targets

  • Analyze and interpret data from a scientific figure. 
  • Compare variations and patterns in the traits of early human ancestors.

Estimated Time

Within one 50-minute class period.

Key Terms

anthropology, bipedalism, fossil, human origins, Mary Leakey, paleontology, scatter plot, sexual dimorphism

Primary Literature

Masao, Fidelis T., Elgidius B. Ichumbaki, Marco Cherin, Angelo Barili, Giovanni Boschian, Dawid A. Iurino, Sofia Menconero, et al. “New footprints from Laetoli (Tanzania) provide evidence for marked body size variation in early hominins.” eLife 5 (2016): e19568. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.19568. 

An annotated version of the article is also available from Science in the Classroom.

Terms of Use

The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 02.12.18
Date Updated 02.12.18

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS4-1, HS-LS4-3; SEP2, SEP4, SEP5

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1.N, EVO-3.A; SP1, SP2, SP4

IB Biology (2016)

5.1

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9-12.7
Math.S-ID.3, Math.S-IC.1; MP2, MP5

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1; DP2, DP3

Materials

Educator Materials (PDF) 990 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 930 KB

Explore Related Content

Other Related Resources

Showing of
Screenshot from the video of Mary Leakey
Animated Shorts
Animated Life: Mary Leakey
Two foot prints on a the surface of a rock
Phenomenal Images
Laetoli Footprints
Image of hands holding two rocks
Scientists at Work
The Tool-Making Animal
Image from the interactive
Click & Learn
Skeletons Reveal Human and Chimpanzee Evolution
Illustrated diagram showing the cycle of testing ideas that includes asking testable questions, collecting and analyzing data, and making logical conclusions
Click & Learn
Using the Scientific Process to Study Human Evolution
Screen shot of the quiz
Interactive Videos
Interactive Assessment for The Origin of Humans
Image of a human precursor fossil from the film
Short Films
Great Transitions: The Origin of Humans
Image of the Ardi fossil from the film
Film Activities
Activity for The Origin of Humans
Photo of Neil Shubin with a monkey on his shoulder
Feature Films
Your Inner Monkey
Computer image of Tiktaalik from the video
Film Activities
Activity for Your Inner Fish
HHMI BioInteractive
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Newsletter Signup
  • HHMI.org
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility