First Steps at Laetoli

Origin Stories

In this episode, we explore five strange fossilized footprints found by Mary Leakey at the site of Laetoli in Tanzania. Decades after their original discovery, these footprints have revealed a new story about our ancient ancestors that expands our understanding of how hominins moved and interacted.

ThanksThanks to Dr. Ellison McNutt and Dr. Charles Musiba for sharing their work.

Thanks as well to Jim Carty and Pat Randall for generously sponsoring this episode. Jim is a long-time Leakey Foundation supporter who actually volunteered to work at Laeotli in the 1980s to help figure out a way to preserve the Laetoli footprints. Learn more Footprint evidence of early hominin locomotor diversity at Laetoli, Tanzania Charming video of Dr. McNutt coaxing a baby bear to walk upright Dr. Charles Musiba's website Dr. Ellison McNutt's website The Kilham Bear Center Conservation of the Laetoli Footprints - a talk by Dr. Charles Musiba The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Unesco World Heritage Site

Survey and Discovering Us giveaway Click here to take our short audience survey, and you could win one of three free copies of Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins by Evan Hadingham.

Origin Stories is a project of The Leakey Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and educational outreach. Support this show and the science we talk about. Your donations will be matched by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.

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Lunch Break Science is The Leakey Foundation's web series featuring short talks and interviews with Leakey Foundation grantees. Episodes stream on the first and third Thursdays of every month.

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This episode was produced and sound designed by Ray Pang. Our editor is Audrey Quinn. Theme music by Henry Nagle. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Lee Roservere.