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.